With electricity prices increasing rapidly, the justification for adopting more efficient motors is that much greater. To achieve this improved efficiency, such motors are designed to run cooler, which prolongs the insulation lifespan for added reliability. Although most First World and many local end-users specify higher efficiency motors, the South African market still largely opts for cheaper IE1 motors, which are cheaper to buy but more expensive to run.
“The bulk of South African low-voltage (LV) motor purchases are driven by price,” notes Bearings International (BI) business unit leader, Stephen Bekker. On average, the initial capital outlay constitutes less than 5% of the cost of a motor over its lifespan. A small percentage is maintenance, while most of the running cost is the electricity consumption. The payback is generally under two years, with the average motor lifespan of ten to 15 years or more translating into an eightfold saving on the initial capital outlay.
BI is an ABB Channel Partner for LV motors. BI stocks the ABB IE1 and IE3 motor ranges, with IE4 and IE5 motors available ex-factory. The complete offering ranges from 0,55 to 355 kW and higher if requested. However, BI concentrates on the 15 to 250 kW four-pole motor range, believed to make up 75% of total IE3 motor sales. Locally, mining has always proven a lucrative sector for BI. Other growth sectors include sugar, pulp and paper, food and beverage, and water and wastewater.
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