Over 40% of global electricity is consumed by electric motors, and the figure for South Africa is higher still, according to Zest WEG Group sales engineer, Machiel de Bruyn. Many farmers are not aware of how much their motors are costing them in electricity and hang on to old, inefficient motors for longer than they should, thinking they are saving money. Farms incur particularly high electricity costs to drive pumps in energy-heavy functions like irrigation. The cost of running a motor is many times greater than the motor’s original purchase price. “Up to 90% of an electric motor’s cost of ownership relates to the power it consumes, so it does not make sense to keep repairing a low efficiency motor in the belief that this is a cost-saving exercise,” he says. “Modern high efficiency motors can pay for themselves in a relatively short time, and then start saving the farm money.”
An effective strategy employed by some of the country’s most successful farms has been to steadily replace the older, less efficient motors whenever they fail, instead of trying to repair them constantly. This approach provides an affordable way of working towards a lower cost operation, without having to jettison existing assets. Many farmers have also reduced energy costs by installing variable speed drives. “Combining VSD technology with the new WEG IE3 motors gives farmers two of the best strategies for improving their cost structure in respect of power consumption for activities like irrigation,” he concludes.
Bearing failure analysis is a perfect solution for Tongaat Hulett SKF South Africa
Shaft power components
A collaborative bearing failure analysis conducted by SKF and Authorised Distributor, Bearings Services Durban at one of South Africa’s leading sugar refinery plants in KwaZulu-Natal provided tremendous value for the customer.
Read more...Heavy-duty V-belts for aggressive conditions Bearing Man Group T/A BMG
Shaft power components
BMG’s specialised Gates belting range includes Predator V-belts, engineered for optimal performance in Africa’s harshest conditions.
Read more...Vibration monitoring in three axes with IO-Link ifm - South Africa
Shaft power components
Machine vibrations are important indicators when it comes to assessing the current condition of a machine. Damage to rolling element bearings and other machine components can be detected at an early stage before costly machine downtime occurs.
Read more...Efficient maintenance counts Bearing Man Group T/A BMG
Shaft power components
BMG’s total plant management solutions encompass a technical advisory service for maintenance programmes that includes correct chain and sprocket selection, which is a critical factor in any power transmission system.
Read more...Optimise your plant assets SKF South Africa
Shaft power components
The SKF Rotating Equipment Performance Centre provides anyone from anywhere with easy access to a comprehensive suite of advanced condition monitoring, analytical and diagnostic solutions.
Read more...Advanced solutions for valves Bearing Man Group T/A BMG
Shaft power components
BMG delivers state-of-the-art valve solutions to diverse industries across Africa, in collaboration with InterApp, a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality valves.
Read more...Understanding standby, prime and continuous gensets WEG Africa
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The increasing reliance of South African businesses on generator sets to mitigate power disruptions highlights a crucial need for proper selection based on specific operational demands. Despite their growing usage, there is still widespread confusion about how to choose the appropriate genset, often leading to inefficient and costly decisions.
Read more...Monitoring the health of systems SA Gauge
Editor's Choice Shaft power components
Pressure and temperature gauges are vital instruments in various industries. However, they are susceptible to failures that can compromise their accuracy and reliability. When these gauges fail, the consequences can be severe.
Read more...Cogged raw edge belts SKF South Africa
Shaft power components
SKF’s cogged raw edge belts are ideally suited for essentially any industrial application that runs on ISO wedge and classical V-belt pulleys.
printer friendly version