Innomotics at SPS showed how to reduce costs in your company by optimally using drives

All Innomotics product lines are always geared towards reducing costs. Thanks to easy online configuration, the customer can find the most economical drive option. And Innomotics' relentless pursuit of maximum efficiency ensures low energy consumption and minimal operating costs over the entire life of the drive.

Electrosphere: a new concept of system integration

The central motif of the exhibition was the Electrosphere concept, which is intended to clearly show customers that Innomotics is not a supplier of individual components, but a partner for the creation of entire electric drive systems. The installation allowed for simulations of energy flows in various applications - for example, when replacing turbines with electric motors or installing heat pumps in large industrial plants. The animation presented the differences in energy savings, CO₂ emission reduction and the economic impact of deploying modern electric drives from low to megawatt outputs.

Part of this 'electrosphere' also included low-voltage and high-voltage motors on display, which Innomotics uses as building blocks of complex systems for various segments of industry - from process operations to energy.

Perfect Harmony – the benchmark among high-voltage converters

The main technical highlight of the stand was the Perfect Harmony GH180 high-voltage inverter, which has been the standard for applications with the highest demands on continuous operation for more than 30 years. The design is based on a modular system of low-voltage power cells, the outputs of which are connected in series. Each cell operates with low voltage, which significantly increases the reliability of the unit.

A unique feature of the Perfect Harmony GH180 is its ability to automatically bypass a failed power cell without interrupting operations. The inverter can maintain rated power even if one cell fails, and operates in a reduced power mode if two cells fail. In practice, this means the ability to continue a critical process until a planned shutdown – a crucial advantage in operations where every hour of unplanned downtime means millions in losses.

Refurbishment of power cells

The offer also includes the Project Refresh service, which enables professional renovation of inverter power modules. Innomotics uses original components that are reconditioned, tested and brought to a condition corresponding to a new part. The customer receives a full replacement with a shorter delivery time and a more favorable price compared to completely new modules - all with a standard warranty. This service significantly increases the availability of key parts that are not normally in stock.

Integrated Shield – digitalized device security

A new product in the portfolio is Innomotics Integrated Shield, a system for security and access management in industrial electrical installations. In contrast to classic mechanical locks and paper work permits, this system works with a fully digital workflow. It allows for user registration, electronic approval of interventions, real-time tracking of people on the device and provision of physical blocking elements. It is a solution that responds to the growing requirements for maintenance safety and auditability in modern industry.

Oil-lubricated rolling bearings

In the high-voltage motor section, a new generation of oil-lubricated rolling bearings (OLRB) was presented, which represent a more economical alternative to classic sleeve bearing oil bearings. The bearing operates with an oil bath in which a disc rotates during operation, spraying lubricant into the entire bearing space. The advantages are twofold: the oil filling is changed only once every two years and at the same time the need for regular relubrication is eliminated. The oil degrades significantly slower than standard lubricants, which brings savings in service and a quick return on investment - usually within one year.

Anti-vibration system for installing large motors

Another exhibit was a new active anti-vibration system, designed mainly for the installation of large high-voltage motors in existing infrastructure, for which there is often no documentation. The motor is mounted on four separate intelligent modules that communicate with a central control unit. This allows the new motor to be installed even on a foundation whose properties are unknown, without the need for structural modifications. The system evaluates critical frequencies and ensures stable operation of the motor even at two- or four-pole speeds with high power.

Low voltage: cooperation with Danfoss and Siemens inverters

Innomotics also presented the current partnership with Danfoss and Siemens in the field of low-voltage converters. The stand displayed the new Danfoss iC7 and Siemens Sinamics G220 models, which can control the full range of Innomotics motors - asynchronous, synchronous reluctance and permanent magnet motors.

In cooperation with Danfoss, Innomotics offers a system guarantee, which means that both companies guarantee the functionality of the unit and in the event of a complaint, they will resolve the costs internally. In practice, this model is a significant simplification for the customer. Cooperation with Siemens continues primarily in the area of sharing technical data, although a system guarantee is not yet available.

Innomotics configurator, digital support and precise efficiency calculations

A significant part of the exhibition was made up of digital tools for configuring and analyzing motor operation. The most attention was drawn to the modernized Innomotics Configurator, which contains a database of all types of motors - low-voltage, high-voltage, geared motors and motors with a mounted converter. It allows you to generate 2D and 3D drawings, STEP models and complete data sheets exactly according to the selected parameters.

For permanent magnet motors, it always requires the specification of thermal protection (e.g. PTC or Pt1000), because these machines, unlike asynchronous motors, must not operate without temperature sensing. The configurator also allows for assessing efficiency at the so-called 7-load points (standardized seven operating points according to IEC), which allows for comparing different technologies on a common scale.

Innomotics Evaluate: a tool for calculating savings and return on investment

The second digital tool was Innomotics Evaluate, a software used to compare motor systems in terms of energy savings, CO₂ emissions and return on investment. The user can define their own load profile, energy price or operating cycles and then compare different variants – for example, an existing motor versus a motor with reluctance technology or a PM motor versus an asynchronous variant.

An interesting example was the demonstration that a 7.5 kW permanent magnet motor could be controlled by a 5.5 kW inverter due to the lower nominal current resulting from the high power factor of the permanent magnet motor. In many applications, this can make the system solution not only more energy efficient, but also cheaper in terms of purchase price.