FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY
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LENZE SHIFTS INNOVATION FOCUS TO SUSTAINABILITY
INNOVATING FOR INTERNAL TRANSPORT In the first wave of innovations, Lenze focused on the internal transport sector, which is the company’s largest industry. “Stuff simply has to get from A to B,” Vissers explains. The first innovation step was taken in motors. “Motors are often the heart of the application and important for every industry. But, one conveyor is not the other. That is where we try to standardise a lot, because that is where you can create distinctiveness as a manufacturer.”
“By taking a critical look at existing
applications with new available technologies,
Innovation in the manufacturing industry has many faces. In recent years the focus has mainly been on digitalisation, however this focus is now shifting towards making existing technology more sustainable. Lenze is following suit, with innovations around the Motor Driven Roller (MDR) and the IE5/IE7 motors, for example
T
he industrial sector faces major sustainability challenges. Energy treaties are forcing companies to act, and cost
savings are always welcome. In addition, margins in Europe are under pressure, as Marc Vissers, marketing & communications manager EMEA West at Lenze observes, forcing companies to take swift action in reducing application and machine lifecycle costs. For Lenze, this is a reason to invest heavily in
research and development to help industry with immediately deployable solutions. Applications and machines consume lot of energy – this is where steps can be taken quickly and easily.
OT AND IT COME TOGETHER A long-standing trend is that IT and OT are moving towards each other. This trend is taking a system’s analytical capabilities to the next level, allowing more targeted information to be collected. For example, by retrieving a lot of data, it is possible to predict when maintenance needs to take place. But, OT is in danger of falling behind IT in
terms of innovation. By first taking automation to the next level and only then innovating again in IT,
18 DESIGN SOLUTIONS APRIL 2024
the whole sector should be able to keep up. This is important because 80% of machine builders in the Benelux and UK fall into the SME segment, and these companies have considerably less innovation power than the big players with more than a thousand employees. By applying innovations in hardware first and standardising where possible, smaller companies can also make the switch. This is why Lenze is also looking at existing
installations, especially in the refurbishment market. Vissers believes there are great opportunities in the next five to ten years. “An incredibly large installed base is still running on outdated technology. By taking a critical look at existing applications with new available technologies, companies can become more sustainable relatively easily. That also makes it possible for companies with a limited investment budget to take sustainability steps,” he comments. This approach comes from a combination of R&D, market experience and the changing demand for energy-efficient solutions. Lenze therefore develops solutions that meet the challenges facing the industry.
companies can become more sustainable relatively easily”
From this innovation drive emerged the IE5/IE7
motors, which comply with efficiency classes IE5 and IE7. Not only do these reduce energy losses by over 60%, but they are equipped with regenerative braking systems that feed energy back to other components or the grid. In this way, direct savings are made during operations and, in the long term, the carbon footprint is optimised. Furthermore, the motors are equipped with the
new generation of frequency inverters, the i550 and i650, which provide simple and efficient operation without sensors. In this way, complexity and maintenance are reduced. Finally, the motors have the ability to accelerate from standstill to full load with an overload torque of 300%.
MOTOR DRIVEN ROLLER Another solution that has come out of Lenze’s research and development is the Motor Driven Roller, which recently entered the market. The brushless permanent magnet motor consumes 30% less energy than conventional MDRs, uses half as much rare earths and offers more power than other MDRs. Namely, it is 115 watts instead of the usual 50 watts. Such innovations as those mentioned
above make it attractive for companies to invest in new technology. The combination of energy savings, easy integration and reduced maintenance creates a business case that suits current market demand. So don’t just look at digitalisation, also tackle hardware in this volatile industrial transition!
Lenze
www.Lenze.com
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