Facing the ongoing energy scarcity in South Africa, equipment is expected to play an increasingly crucial role in the strategy for energy solutions in the industry. Production and processing sectors, including mineral processing plants, are energy-intensive industries that need to find ways to reduce consumption while simultaneously increasing efficiency, essential for both economic and environmental reasons.
Electric motors and drives are employed across all industries to operate pumps, mixers, conveyors, vibrating screens, feeders, crushers, and other machinery, including automated packaging systems. In this regard, WEG has the knowledge, experience, and technological solutions needed to assist in reducing operational costs and increasing productivity while ensuring energy efficiency.
Advancements in motor and inverter technology, supported by WEG's extensive research and development, have led to substantial improvements in energy efficiency. By utilizing higher efficiency motors, such as IE3 or IE4, customers can significantly reduce energy consumption. Additionally, when combining high-efficiency motors with variable frequency drives (VFDs), better control and optimization of equipment can be achieved. This ensures that the equipment operates at the most energy-efficient speed and power level, thereby significantly reducing operational costs.
Motors with traditional start-and-stop operate at a constant speed regardless of actual load requirements, sometimes employing mechanical speed control methods. In comparison, VFDs are more effective in controlling motor speed and torque based on real load requirements. This precision facilitates adjusting the motor speed to match the load, ensuring that the equipment operates only when necessary and uses only the required energy. VFDs also respond more quickly to load changes and integrate better with the equipment, reducing energy consumption during low-demand periods and improving overall equipment efficiency and performance.
Highlighting advancements in inverter technology, WEG's CFW11 VFD line incorporates some of the world's most advanced technologies for three-phase induction motors. Featuring WEG Vectrue™ technology, these next-generation WEG inverters combine variable frequency, sensorless, and closed-loop vector control (with encoder) in a single product. This enables high torque and rapid dynamic response, with the auto-tuning function allowing automatic configuration of the VFD to match the motor and load in vector modes.
In addition to the energy efficiency gains brought by VFDs, various other functions are added to their use, such as motor protection, advanced automation possibilities, sharing drive status through industrial networks, maintenance prevention, among others.
With most industries seeking more sustainable energy resources, including renewable energies such as wind and solar, motors and VFDs will continue to play a fundamental role in integrating such systems. VFDs can be used to balance the supply and demand of energy, ensuring stable operation in hybrid energy settings. Substantial efficiency improvements are possible by leveraging the latest motor and inverter technology, and the significant energy consumption savings more than justify the capital cost of replacing outdated technology equipment with higher-efficiency technology.
