2005-06-20 - ABB is planning to take 25% market share for AC drives within the food and beverage sector by 2008, in a market for drives worth about £13 million.
At the launch of an aggressive attack plan that features five key elements, ABB’s Steve Ruddell, general manager drives and motors, says: “We have been active in the food and beverage industry for over 30 years. But we believe the time is right to strengthen our position and aim to be market leader. In addition, the new technology we have is right and the plans that we have, following extensive market research into the sector, we believe are right.”
ABB’s five key elements are:
• A dedicated and specialised team, trained in all aspects of food and beverage applications
• A series of new product launches that have been designed with the needs of the food and beverage industry in mind
• Capitalising on ABB’s ability to supply both motors and drives and offer a suitable matched pair, including ATEX certified units
• Identification of the key issues concerning the food and beverage sector resulting in the launch of an bespoke energy study service and drives replacement programme
• Technology seminars – aimed at promoting all the key issues that affect efficiency and productivity in food and beverage applications
“Our approach is similar to that adopted when we moved into the HVAC sector over two years ago,” says Ruddell. “From a standing start we managed to capture 30% market share and become the UK’s leading supplier of AC drives within the HVAC sector. The key is to stay focused and deliver exactly what is being asked for.”
The focus on food and beverage is part of a global initiative, which has seen the introduction of dedicated market managers for various industries. Kari Hakkinnen is coordinating the global activity for food and beverage from ABB’s AC drives factory in Helsinki, Finland: “ABB’s track record in food and beverage is outstanding. Our colleagues in instrumentation are highly regarded for the quality and innovation they bring to the food and beverage sector. We are planning to work with our colleagues to share this success.”
Dedicated team
ABB’s food and beverage team has access to nine application engineers with expertise in pump, fan, chiller, compressor and conveyor applications and offers 22 dedicated drives service support engineers throughout the UK. Gary Busby, industry manager for food and beverage, heads the team.
Complementing this Food and Beverage team will be the ABB Drive Alliance network and the ABB Motor Service Partners. Its members are presently undergoing intensive training, updating their know-how across all various applications and processes within this sector.
“Our market research shows customers want people who understand food and beverage applications; who are not just selling their own products but who have a real empathy with the issues,” says Busby. “Customers want planned availability and want to deal with organisations who can react immediately to requests for support, regardless of the customer’s location. We have looked hard at the findings of the market research and have risen to the challenge by investing heavily in ensuring we have the right quality and quantity of personnel available to service this market sector.
“We believe now that no other UK drives supplier can offer, in the food and beverage sector, the level and depth of expertise and coverage that we now give.”
While ABB are clear global leaders in AC drives across all sectors, with over 22% UK market share, it does not yet lead the food and beverage market.
Energy study service
Part of the reason for the increasing interest in drives and motors in the food sector is a greater awareness of energy saving issues, spurred on in the UK by the Government’s Climate Change Levy and a growing acceptance of AC drive technology and the significant control benefits it brings. Also, electricity prices are expected to rise rapidly over the coming years. Food and beverage is the third largest energy-consuming sector after metals and chemicals.
ABB is now making a focused effort to roll out its 6-step energy saving plan across the food and beverage sector. Its six steps are:
Step 1 - The facts – information about Government targets for energy savings, the Climate Change Levy and other reasons why energy prices are rising
Step 2 - The savings – identifying energy waste across a range of equipment across the food and beverage industry, such as pumps, fans, centrifuges, stirrers and compressors.
Step 3 - The finance – financial incentives combined with energy savings gives rapid payback.
Step 4 - The products – outlining features that give substantial additional savings
Step 5 - The proof – ABB has delivered many hundred drive systems to the food and beverage sector and can give examples of energy savings in most applications. For instance, salt maker Salt Union in Cheshire is saving £100,000 annually since replacing a 337 kW fan motor with a 132 kW motor and drive combination from ABB.
Step 6 - The action - hands-on advice of how to take things further and start saving. ABB’s website, www.abb.co.uk/energy, has all the information on how to conduct an energy survey and sources for further information.
Replacement drive scheme
A replacement scheme for variable speed drives has also been introduced by ABB. The company aims to ensure a seamless upgrade for older drives in food and beverage installations.
“The reliability of drives gradually declines once they get to between 15 and 20 years of age,” says Busby. “To avoid costly downtime towards the end of the product’s life, our plan identifies the older drives, gives advice on the upgrade process and recommends a drive replacement programme. As drive losses are typically reduced by some 10% with a modern drive, the replacement and retrofit installation often pays for itself with the increased energy savings.”
According to Busby, users normally replace drives in a breakdown situation because spares are either unavailable or too expensive. He estimates that over half of all drives sold today are for the replacement of older drives. Upgrading food and beverage applications with modern drives offers the end user the best opportunity to save money through energy savings.
In ABB’s drive replacement scheme, the first stage involves assessing the site and the application. Next, any specific engineering that is needed to ensure the application performs optimally is considered. Then follows removal, disposal and recycling of existing drives, as well as of motors that are not compatible with modern frequency converters, typically those with class B insulation. The final stages ensure that the installation and commissioning are carried out to the satisfaction of the customer.
To keep downtime to a minimum, ABB’s Drive Alliance Partners can install over weekends and bank holidays, supplying the drives as well as associated equipment, such as motors in the highest efficiency class, EFF1.
“Users can also reap a number of other benefits from renewing their drives,” Busby continues. “Reduced size saves plant room space, lower component count improves reliability and more up to date technology means additional features.”
A new drive can save as much as £1,000 per year in energy compared to a unit that is 20 years old. For instance, ABB’s current drive has an efficiency figure more than 10 per cent higher than its most popular drive from the 1980s. It is also only one-third of the size of the older drive.
The new drive additionally offers flux optimisation, which can save a further 10 per cent of the energy in pump and fan applications, as well as a range of industry specific communications protocols, such as Modbus and LONworks.
It is an ISO 9001 requirement that manufacturers keep spares for 10 years after a product has ceased being manufactured. After this, customers normally source spares from independent suppliers. With the market governed by supply and demand, spares for older products can become difficult to get hold of as well as expensive to purchase.
AC drive support programme
A series of technology seminars will help raise the challenges faced by food and beverage processes and the massive economic benefits offered by drives. The seminars will be delivered by ABB in the autumn, in co-operation with its channel partners, visiting major end user and OEM sites with lectures and demonstrations.
“This will be an excellent opportunity for users to really get to grips with the benefits that drives can bring to their processes,” says Busby.
“As well as learning about the basics of drive technology, users will also be able to learn more about the types of applications running at their particular site, gaining knowledge directly applicable to their process.”
Through its channel partner networks, ABB offers an extensive range of services:
• Technical advice
• Simple and rapid ordering
• Delivery
• Installation and commissioning
• Technical support
• Warranty
• Training