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Manufacturing facilities use an enormous amount of electricity moving air, water, material, and products. In many plants, electric motors are responsible for a significant portion of that energy consumption. That makes motor efficiency an obvious place to look for savings. But replacing an inefficient motor isn't the only option. Sometimes the bigger opportunity is controlling how hard and how fast the motor runs. That's where variable frequency drives can make a significant

Electric motors are everywhere in manufacturing. They drive conveyors, pumps, fans, mixers, blowers, compressors, and countless other pieces of equipment. For decades, many of those motors were operated at essentially one speed: turn the motor on, let it run, and turn it off when the process was finished. That works. But it isn't always the best way to operate a machine. A variable frequency drive, commonly called a VFD, allows manufacturers to control the speed of an AC moto

Every maintenance manager knows the feeling. The shutdown window is approaching. A list of repairs has been growing for months. Maintenance wants more time. Operations wants less. Contractors are waiting for access. Production is counting the minutes until the line starts again. A plant shutdown can be one of the most productive periods of the year—or one of the most expensive. The difference usually comes down to planning. Start Planning Earlier Than You Think The worst time

Capital projects are exciting when they're on paper. A new machine. An upgraded conveyor. A larger production cell. A new automation system. Everyone can see the potential improvement. Then someone asks the uncomfortable question: "How are we going to install it without shutting down production?" That's where many manufacturing projects become difficult. A successful capital project isn't simply one where the new equipment works. It's one where the equipment is installed safe