ABB opens drive and motor lab

The facility incorporates independent equipment for high-precision measurements of drive/motor dynamic performance, load capability and efficiency that enables customers to find the optimal drive system for their application, helping reduce costs, equipment size and energy consumption.

Morten Wierdo, managing director of ABB’s drives and control business unit, said: ”This investment really supports the process of establishing the ideal drive/motor combination and demonstrates how we can help customers test their equipment up to 400kW with a minimum amount of effort to verify that ABB’s solution is the best choice for their application.“

“This new laboratory in Helsinki is the centre of excellence for our business unit from where we support global customers with the most demanding requirements,” he added.

The test laboratory is an entirely new concept that is aimed primarily at high-volume drives customers and ABB partners such as technology companies in the machine building industries and system integrators.

The decision to make the investment to create the new facility was based on ABB’s experience with the customer application laboratory for crane and winch applications that opened in 2011. This facility, also located at the drives factory in Helsinki, provides facilities for OEMs to test ABB’s drive compatibility in cranes and winches in a simulated environment corresponding to actual application conditions.

The laboratory has played a significant role in helping ABB to grow its business in this sector and it has recently been upgraded to increase its test capacity to cover a wider range of application areas.