Motor Quality Guide

your questions answered

Introduction
Reliability is by far the most important aspect of
a motor or a generator
The only time the motor is really noticed is when it fails. Unplanned downtime
can cost as much as a new motor every five minutes, rapidly adding to the
life cycle cost.

The support and know-how of the manufacturer can

be as important as the product quality
For a healthy bottom line, it is important to select quality motors and generators
that wont let you down, from a manufacturer with an adequate support
infrastructure.

Purchase price is insignificant when compared to the

overall life cycle cost
The AC motor is the workhorse of industry. It is a fit-and-forget item, expected
to last for many years. Its life cycle cost is mainly made up by the electricity it
consumes for every euro you spend buying the motor, you will typically spend
100 euros running it over a 10-year life cycle.

There is more to motors than

meets the eye
2

What do you need from a manufacturer?

There are three major aspects to quality materials, systems and people
Quality materials

Quality systems

The life expectancy of a motor can

exceed 20 years, which is why the
use of quality materials is of paramount
importance. The motor is the prime
mover and the reliability of the plant
will depend on the quality of the motor.
However there is more to motors than
meets the eye. For this reason, care
should be taken when selecting a motor
supplier. A quality motor or generator,
correctly selected and dimensioned, will
provide many years of trouble free
performance.

Fast and efficient access to information

and support is essential for any business.
Online documentation, ordering and
delivery tracking systems should be
available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
to provide information when you need
it. After sales support and service systems
should also be available 24/365 for a fast
and efficient service.

Making the right choice

How you can recognise a quality motor

is something we aim to explain over the
next 10 pages, enabling you to make
an informed choice. Making the wrong
choice can result in lower motor life
expectancy, higher running costs and
increased downtime.
Remember that quality normally comes
at a price. While making the right
choice may result in a one-off cost
increase when purchasing, making the
wrong choice could result in ongoing
operational cost increases for the life of
the motor.

Quality people

Motors are utilised in hundreds of

applications under a variety of conditions
and appropriate advice is essential to
select the right motor for the job.
A good manufacturer will have wide
industry experience and will be able
to give adequate advice for the
particular conditions and demands of
your industry sector. You should also
expect knowledgeable advice on issues
such as starting methods, variable speed
drive considerations such as bearing
currents and harmonics, as well
as the wider issues affecting
the correct selection of
motors.

The manufacturer you use

needs to have a full range of motors to
cover all your applications

Quality means reliability

Motors should never fail. Unfortunately, they do, some more than others
A motor is only as good as its constituent
parts. Here, it really is a case of getting
what you pay for. As average, about 55%
of the price of a motor goes towards
materials, while 15% is used for labour
and another 30% for other costs, e.g.
R&D, logistics and general overheads.
This chapter outlines what makes a
good motor, and what to look out for
when buying motors or generators.

Reliability - why should I care?

If you need a motor for a water pump

that runs once a year on a non-critical
application, reliability will not be a big
issue. Providing the motor is right for the
application, the running hours will never
mount up and the materials will almost
certainly last regardless of quality. But
if you are responsible for the 24/365
operation of a paper machine, or a
processing plant, with a downtime cost of
10 000 euro per hour, you will appreciate
the importance of reliability. And if you

Of the motors key components, the bearings and the

winding are the ones most exposed to wear

are selecting motors as an OEM, you will

be putting your companys reputation at
risk by selecting a low quality motor. It
will be your company that gets the blame,
not the motor manufacturer, when the
product fails.
As much as 55% of the motors price goes towards
materials, while 15% goes to direct labour and 30%
towards R&D, logistics and general overheads. For this
reason it is difficult to cut costs substantially without
affecting performance

Product quality
First of all, the quality of the product is
secondary to the quality of the advice
you receive when selecting your motors.
The worlds finest materials will not help
if the motor is wrong for the job. Make
sure that your motor manufacturer has
experienced engineers who are available
to help you with selection.
Bearings
Check:

Regardless of the type of bearing, it needs to be

adequately greased. The quality, frequency and amount
are all critical factors; excessive greasing reduces bearing
life just as insufficient greasing does

What is the quality of the bearing?

Do you know the bearing manufacturer?
Is bearing life defined to L1 or L10?
Does the motor have a grease
outlet?

with the original grease. Special grease

is available for operation in hot or
cold ambient temperatures. Your motor
manufacturer should be able to provide
specific advice on lubrication.
Over-greasing can have just as
disastrous consequences as insufficient
greasing, particularly in fast running
applications. When too much grease is
added, the bearing elements do not have
enough room for heat expansion, which
causes friction and overheating. Some
motors have a grease relief valve to avoid
this happening.
Bearings should come from a
reputable manufacturer. ABB uses
bearings from, for example, SKF, NTN,
and NSK. Along with a small number of
other companies, these are among the
worlds premier bearing manufacturers.
L1 and L10 are the most common
measures for bearing life (reliability) used
by bearing manufacturers. L10 means that
90% of bearings achieve or exceed the
calculated bearing lifetime; L1 means that
99% of bearings achieve or exceed the
calculated bearing lifetime. The improved
reliability is achieved by more frequent
re-greasing intervals.

Actions:
Ask your motor supplier to recommend:
Bearings dimensioned for the
appropriate load
Internal bearing clearance suitable for
the temperature
Grease suitable for the temperature
Choose re-greasable or sealed-for-life
bearings as appropriate

The most common cause of motor

failure is bearing problems. The life of
the bearing depends on many different
factors, the main one being the quality
of the bearing. It also depends on
selecting the right type of bearing for
the application and load in question, and
correct greasing for the application.
Bearings can be either re-greasable
or sealed for life. The re-greasable
bearing will give a longer service life,
providing that the end-user has a suitable
maintenance infrastructure. If not, sealedfor-life bearings are preferable. These
are also required in for instance dusty
environments. The bearings should only
be re-lubricated with grease compatible

Product quality (continued)

Winding
Check:
Winding insulation Class F is better
than Class B
Withstand voltage above 1400 V is
beneficial for variable speed drive
operation

Good slot fill

Poor slot fill

A good slot fill is one of the characteristics of a

good winding

Actions:

Deg. C

Choose high efficiency for a lower winding

temperature; this gives long winding life as
well as low running costs

155
130

The second most common cause of

failure is the winding. At the end
of a long service life, the insulation
system, including varnish, that insulates
the copper wire in the windings will start
to break down and a short circuit may
occur. If this happens, a high quality motor
can in many cases be rewound without
too great a reduction in efficiency. The
materials and constructions used will allow
the removal of the old winding and
rewinding and impregnation of the motor.
A low quality motor can also be
rewound but typically with much greater
losses in efficiency, due to lower
quality electrical steel used in the stator
laminations.

Years

Winding lifetime

A lower internal temperature extends the life of

the motor

The windings can be insulated to

different standards; Class F (155) and
Class B (130) are the most common.
Most motors are manufactured with Class F
insulation material but designed to run no
hotter than with Class B temperature rise.
The cooler the motor runs, the longer the
insulation system will last and the longer
the motor will operate.

Efficiency the other side of temperature rise

A low running temperature means the motor requires less cooling, enabling the use of a smaller fan.
This results in low heat losses and high efficiency. High efficiency means lower energy costs, giving lower
operational costs. Low temperature rise comes from using high quality materials and production methods and
comes at a price. However, the additional cost for using a high efficiency motor is often repaid in reduced
energy costs in less than a year. Take the following example from the UK:
Purchase cost, 90kW high efficiency motor (95%)

5,532

Purchase cost, 90kW average efficiency motor (92%)

4,273

Difference in purchase price

1,259

Daily running cost, 95% efficiency

131

Daily running cost, 92% efficiency

138

Saving, per day

Payback time

6 months

Product quality (continued)

Random winding pattern
High quality slot insulation,
impregnation systems and phase
insulation systems
The integrity of the winding is measured
in withstand voltage and is usually in the
region of 1200 V.
Motors with withstand voltage of 1400 V
and above are available and offer increased
reliability. This is especially important to
help withstand the voltage spikes produced
by some variable speed drives.

The normal running temperature in

high quality motors running at full load
can be as low as 60-80 C, while lower
quality motors can run in excess of 90C.
Although this still meets the criteria of
Class B temperature rise, it could run considerably hotter than a quality motor of
the same size. Theoretically, a reduction of
10-15 should double the life of the winding, as well as the re-greasing intervals.
The life of the winding also depends
to a large extent on the production
techniques used in the manufacturing
process. A compact winding with a good
slot fill, i.e. high density of copper,
gives the best performance. Automated
winding equipment, as used on smaller
size motors, gives a higher density slot fill
than hand winding and gives a repeatable
quality time after time.
The characteristics of a good
winding are:
Small overhang
High quality grade of copper wire
Good slot fill ratio. The more copper
wire in the slot, the better the metalto-metal transfer of heat, and the
cooler the running temperature of
the motor.

Stator electrical steel

The stator is made up of laminations, thin

slices of low loss steel with an insulated
coating. These should be uniform and as
thin as possible to maximize the strength
of the magnetic fields in the stator. They
must be perfectly aligned to give straight
channels for the slot fills. The stack of
laminations should be rotated periodically
to compensate for the effect the grain in
the metal has on the magnetic field.

C
180

15

155
130
120

10
Hotspot temperature margin

10

Permissible temperature rise

80

105

125

Maximum ambient temperature

40

40

40

B
130

F
155

H
180

40

Insulation class
Maximum winding temperature

The stator is made up by laminations of low loss steel

with an insulated coating

A higher insulation class gives better protection

against high temperatures and extends motor life

Product quality (continued)

Frame

for normal operation, as this can cause

moisture to build up inside the motor
and affect reliability. Your motor supplier
should be able to advise on whether IP65
is appropriate.

Check:
Examine casting for blowholes and
imperfections upon delivery, reject if
unsatisfactory.
Cast iron motors should be made
of suitable standard cast iron, e.g.
EN-GJL-200/GG 20/GRS 200
Aluminium motors should be made
of low copper content aluminium
(max 0.3%)

Noise - an invisible pollutant

Most responsible employers aim to reduce the
noise in their workshops. Limits are continually
moving downward and your supplier should be
able to advice on the most recent regulations.
The noise levels should be printed in motor
catalogues. It is worth noting that an increase in
the noise by 3db is perceived as a doubling of
the noise. A difference in noise levels between two
motors of, say, 3db is therefore significant.

Actions:
Ask your supplier for advise on the correct
frame material for your application

Noise level
db(A)
100

Total noise
Fan noise
Bearing noise

90

The casting should be smooth and

free from blowholes. Apart from being
unsightly, blowholes trap air, which
hinders the transfer of heat. They can also
reduce the strength of the material, leading
to weak points and potential fracture.

Magnetic noise

80
70
60
50
40

0.2

0.5

10

20

50

100 200

500 1000 2000

Power, kW

Components that raise noise level

Low noise motors can make a significant impact

on overall noise levels

Enclosure
The standard enclosure for motors is IP54.
This protects against water splashing.
Some motor manufacturers use IP 55
as standard. This additionally protects
against water jets.
Many users specify IP65 motors.
This means the enclosure is dust tight.
While this is appropriate in some
applications, it is unnecessarily air tight

Aluminium motors should use low

copper content aluminium to minimise
corrosion. Modern alloys contain as little
as 0.2-0.3% copper; a lesser quality alloy
can contain as much as 2.5%, typically
corroding at ten times the rate. Cast iron
motors should be made of high-grade cast
iron.

Painting
Actions:
Ask your supplier for a paint specification
appropriate for your application

The motor needs to be painted according

to appropriate specifications. Process
industry and offshore, for instance, needs

The casting should be smooth and free

from blowholes

Product quality (continued)

Terminal box

a higher specification paint. A suitable

cover for aluminium motors in general
industrial application would be a twopack polyurethane acrylic varnish, while
for cast iron motors, a two-pack epoxy
primer followed by two-pack epoxy
topcoat is recommended.

Check:
Ensure that the terminal box is large
enough to enable rapid installation
with the type a cable used in your
application

If you have ever fitted a motor under

time pressure, for instance while standstill
costs were mounting up, then you will
appreciate the importance of the design
of the terminal box. The terminal box
should be large enough to accommodate
the bends of heavy gauge cables and
have cable entry from two or four sides.

Shaft
Check:
Can your supplier offer a range of shaft
materials for different applications?

The shaft material is selected according

to application. Normally, the shaft is
a hot rolled steel bar turned to the
correct dimensions. Stainless steel shafts are
available for use offshore or in chemical
plants. If strong radial forces are expected,
high tensile shaft material is available. Your
selected manufacturer should be able to
give advice on permissible loadings on the
shaft and suitable shaft materials.

Fan
Check:

A generously sized terminal box helps installation and

is particularly useful when time is at a premium.

Are original fans available as spare parts?

Can the fan be re-fitted once removed?

Some motors also come with a gland

plate which can be easily moved from
one motor to another, making re-glanding
of cables a thing of the past. In addition,
a spacious terminal box offers better
protection against short circuit.

The fan must be large enough to produce

adequate cooling, but too large a fan
reduces efficiency and increases noise. To
achieve the optimum balance, ABB varies
the blade size and pitch between models.
For this reason, a broken fan cannot
be replaced with any standard fan. The
appropriate fan for the model should
be obtained; using a standard fan can
increase fan losses by as much as 20%.
Check how the fan is fitted it will
need to come off when the bearings are
replaced. A fan fitted to the shaft using a
keyway and grub screw can be removed
and re-fitted many times.

Accessories
Check:
Availability of accessories and ease
of fitting

Some motors are easier to modify than

others. You may want to add for example
monitoring or protection devices, check
how easily this can be achieved.

Support and backup

Having quality support and backup
is as important as having a quality
product. The help of an engineer can be
invaluable when specifying the motor, as
this can prevent problems later on. The
engineer is part of a team and should be
supported by other engineers in-house,
who in turn should be supported by
the R&D department at the factory. Only
this way can you be sure you have the
backup you need for all eventualities.

Ensure that your supplier has backup of manpower as

well as products in stock

Production lead times

Issues affecting motor selection

Check:

Check:

Does your motor supplier know about

the wider issues affecting your industry?

Are modifications and custom builds

available?

Your supplier should be able to advise

you on all the wider issues that affect
motor selection, such as European Union
efficiency classification; the ATEX
directive for explosion proof motors;
ISO 14001, the standard for environmental
management systems; and for exporting
OEMs, EPAct, the motor efficiency norms
in North America.

It is not always that stock motors

are appropriate for the application.
Sometimes, modifications or custom
builds may be necessary. It is important
that your chosen manufacturer can deliver
these within a reasonable time frame.

On-line services
Check:
Is your supplier e-commerce enabled?

Stock availability
Check:
Is a wide range of motors available
with short delivery times?

Your chosen supplier should have a wide

range of motors, available in quantity
at short notice. Many ABBs national
distributors stock motors up to 37 kW
for local availability. Some of them stock
sizes as large as 132 kW; these can be
delivered nationwide overnight. Motors
up to 400 kW are stocked at ABBs
central stock locations in Europe and in
Singapore and can be delivered within
24 hours.

10

Some manufacturers enable you to deal

with them online, helping you reduce
administrative costs. If you do business
online, make sure your motor supplier
does, too.

After sales services

Check:
Does your supplier have a reasonable
structure for after sales support?

After sales service may seem a long way

away while the motor has yet to
be specified, however sooner or later
the need will arise, and you should

Support and backup

handle your custom documentation and
produce dedicated speed/torque curves
for your application.

Warranty
Check:
Does your supplier have a clear
structure for handling claims?

Complicated warranty procedures are not

unheard of in the motor industry. Ensure
that your supplier has knowledgeable
field staff that can help with your
warranty claims, as well as a clear
internal structure for handling warranty
claims professionally.

Your supplier shouldnt just ship motors; he should

also be a reliable source of information for all your
application needs

make sure your chosen supplier has an

adequate support infrastructure.

Documentation

If a service agent is used, it is the

manufacturers responsibility to ensure
that standards are maintained.

Check:
Is the right documentation available?

Your supplier should be able to provide

documentation within a reasonable
timeframe, such as:
Data sheets
Type tests
Declaration of conformity
Speed/torque curves
Hazardous certificates
Noise curves
Drawings, general arrangement

Industrial IT
Check:
Does you supplier have a concept for
real-time automation and information?

Industrial IT is an ABB concept with

reusable, intelligent products and
applications. It provides real-time
automation and information. Motors
and generators are fundamental building
blocks in Industrial IT architecture.

The supplier should also be able to

To handle all aspects of customer service, your supplier needs a team structure, which can look something like this:

Technical support

Logistics

After sales

Application knowledge

Order handling

Warranty cases

Dimensioning

Progress reporting

24/7 support

Comments on specifications

Documentation packages

Repair/modification

Design capability

Proof of delivery

Service

Local representation

Stock profile

11

Low Voltage Motors

Manufacturing sites (*) and some of the larger sales companies.

Finland*
ABB Oy
LV Motors
P.O.Box 633
FIN-65101 Vaasa
Tel: +358 (0) 10 22 11
Fax: +358 (0) 10 22 47372

Japan
ABB K.K.
26-1 Cerulean Tower
Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-8512
Tel: +81 (0) 3 578 46251
Fax: +81 (0) 3 578 46260

Austria
ABB AG
Wienerbergstrasse 11 B
A-1810 Wien
Tel: +43 (0) 1 601 090
Fax: +43 (0) 1 601 09 8305

France
ABB Automation
Rue du Gnral de Gaulle
Champagne-sur-Seine
F-77811 Moret-sur-Loing Cedex
Tel: +33 (0) 1 60 746 500
Fax: +33 (0) 1 60 746 565

Korea
ABB Korea Ltd.
7-9fl, Oksan Bldg., 157-33
Sungsung-dong, Kangnam-ku
Seoul
Tel: +82 2 528 2329
Fax: +82 2 528 2338

Germany
ABB Automation Products
GmbH
P.O.Box 10 02 61
D-68002 Mannheim
Tel: +49 (0) 621 3810
Fax: +49 (0) 621 381 6820

Mexico
ABB Mxico, S.A. de C.V.
Apartado Postal 111
CP 54000 Tlalnepantla
Edo. de Mxico, Mxico
Tel: +52 5 328 1400
Fax: +52 5 390 3720

Hong Kong
ABB Automation Limited
3 Dai Hei Street
Tai Po Industrial Estate
Tai Po New Territories
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 292 938 38
Fax: +852 292 938 87

The Netherlands
ABB B.V.
Dept. LV motors (APP2R)
P.O.Box 301
NL-3000 AH Rotterdam
Tel: +31 (0) 10 4078 879
Fax: +31 (0) 10 4078 345

Belgium
Asea Brown Boveri S.A.-N.V.
Hoge Wei 27
B-1930 Zaventem
Tel: +32 (0) 2 718 6311
Fax: +32 (0) 2 718 6657
Brazil
Asea Brown Boveri Ltda
P.O.Box 00975
06020-902 Osasco -SP
Tel: +55 (0) 11 7088 9526
Fax: +55 (0) 11 7088 4523
Canada
ABB Inc., BA Electrical Machines
10300 Henri-Bourassa Blvd,
West, Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Canada H4S 1N6
Tel: +1 514 832-6583
Fax: +1 514 332-0609
China*
ABB Yuejin Motors (Shanghai)
Company Limited
8 Guang Xing Rd.,Rong Bei
Town, Songjiang County,
Shanghai 201613
Tel: +86 21 5778 0988
Fax: +86 21 5778 1364
Chile
Asea Brown Boveri S.A.
P.O.Box 581-3
Santiago
Tel: +56 (0) 2 5447 100
Fax: +56 (0) 2 5447 405
Denmark
ABB A/S
Automation Technology
Electrical Machines
Petersmindevej 1
DK-5000 Odense C
Tel: +45 65 477 070
Fax: +45 65 477 713

India*
Asea Brown Boveri Ltd
P.O.Box 16
Faridabad 121 001
Tel: +91 (0) 882 3001
Fax: +91 (0) 882 3006
Indonesia
P.T. Abdibangun Buana
P.O.Box 3781
Jakarta 10002
Tel: +62 (0) 21 314 9115
Fax: +62 (0) 21 315 3963
Ireland
Asea Brown Boveri Ltd
Components Division
Belgard Road
Tallaght, Dublin 24
Tel: +353 (0) 1 405 7300
Fax: +353 (0) 1 405 7327
Italy*
ABB Industria SpA
BAU LV Motors
Via Della Meccanica, 22
I-20040 Caponago - MI
Tel: +39 02 959 6671
Fax: +39 02 959 667216

http://www.abb.com/motors&drives
http://online.abb.com/m0tors&drives

New Zealand
ABB Automation
Motor Sales
P.O.Box 22167
Otahuhu, Auckland
Tel: +64 (0) 9 276 6016
Fax: +64 (0) 9 276 1303
Norway
ABB AS
Automation Technology
Products Division
P.O.Box 6540 Rodeloekka
N-0501 Oslo 5
Tel: +47 22 872 000
Fax: +47 22 872 541
Singapore
ABB Industry Pte Ltd
P.O.Box 95
Pasir Panjang Post Office
Singapore 9111
Tel: +65 775 3777
Fax: +65 778 0222
Spain*
ABB Automation Products S.A.
Division Motores
P.O.Box 81
E-08200 Sabadell
Tel: +34 93 728 8500
Fax: +34 93 728 8741

Sweden*
ABB Automation Technology
Products AB
Motors & Machines
LV Motors
S-721 70 Vsters
Tel: +46 (0) 21 329 000
Fax: +46 (0) 21 124 103
Switzerland
ABB Switzerland Ltd
Normelec/CMC Components
Motors&Drives
Badenerstrasse 790
Postfach
CH-8048 Zrich
Tel: +41 (0) 58 586 0666
Fax: +41 (0) 58 586 0603
Taiwan
Asea Brown Boveri Ltd
P.O.Box 81-54
Taipei
Tel: +886 (0) 2 579 9340
Fax: +886 (0) 2 577 9434
Thailand
ABB Limited
5th Building, 322 Moo 4
Bangpoo Industrial Estate Soi 6
Sukhumvit Road, Prekasa,
Muang, Samutprakarn 10280
Tel: +662 (0) 709 3346
Fax: +662 (0) 709 3765
The United Kingdom
ABB Automation Ltd
9 The Towers, Wilmslow Road
Didsbury
Manchester, M20 2AB
Tel: +44 (0) 161 445 5555
Fax: +44 (0) 161 448 1016
USA
ABB Inc.
Electrical Machines
P.O.Box 372
Milwaukee
WI 53201-0372
Tel: +1 262 785 3200
Fax: +1 262 785 8628
Venezuela
Asea Brown Boveri S.A.
P.O.Box 6649
Carmelitas,
Caracas 1010A
Tel: +58 (0) 2 238 2422
Fax: +58 (0) 2 239 6383

ABB (www.abb.com) is a global leader in power and

automation technologies that enable utility and industrial
customers to improve performance while lowering their
environmental impact. ABB has 155,000 employees in
more than 100 countries

BA/ Motor Quality Guide GB 05-2002

Australia
ABB Industry Pty Ltd
2 Douglas Street
Port Melbourne,
Victoria, 3207
Tel: +61 (0) 3 9644 4100
Fax: +61 (0) 3 9646 9362