Hameln/Nuremberg, 24. November 2009 --- An efficiency-enhanced component does not, in itself, make a drive train efficient. As a systems supplier, Lenze therefore combines the new IE2 motors with highly efficient axial and right-angle gearboxes within the L-force drive and automation platform. By using an efficiency-enhanced geared motor, the energy requirement of the drive can be reduced by up to 41 per cent.

If mechanical engineers and operators want to improve the energy efficiency of their systems, it is not enough to focus on an IE2 motor within the drive technology. This is because, in order to noticeably lower the energy requirement, selection and combination of the drive elements are decisive. The most effective approach is to reduce losses simultaneously along the whole drive train. For this, Lenze provides support in the form of its design software Drive Solution Designer, with which comprehensively efficient drive solutions can be optimised from the standpoint of energy efficiency. One important factor in this respect is the interplay of gearbox and motor. The necessary consequence of gearboxes with a low level of efficiency is that the motor has to compensate for the power loss of the gearbox as well as to provide the necessary process power for the applications. This results in an increasing energy consumption, larger physical sizes, more weight and a higher purchase price.

As an alternative approach, efficient drive solutions lead to small units that save space, are less expensive to procure and sustainably drive down operating costs due to their lower energy consumption during the entire life time. By using a L-force geared motor – consisting of an IE2 three-phase AC motor and a GKR bevel gearbox – the energy requirement compared to a conventional solution with worm gearboxes and an IE1 three-phase motor can be reduced by around 41 per cent. Another advantage is that the high level of efficiency reduces heat losses, which results in an increased service life of the equipment, longer maintenance intervals and, above all, enhanced availability.