ABB India expands manufacturing footprint

By OEM Update Editorial May 11, 2023 3:58 pm IST

ABB India expands its production footprint with a new line for variable speed drive modules at the Peenya factory in Bengaluru.

The new line will produce drives ranging from 75 kW to up to 250 kW and will cater to all major industrial segments. ABB’s variable speed drives are used to control the speed of electric motors to match the actual demands of the process to improve energy efficiency and performance in any industrial application or any building globally. When added to the existing motor of a pump, fan or compressor, a drive can typically reduce power consumption by up to 25%.

Part of the integrated campus that houses ABB’s corporate office and other business’ factories, this new production line aims to meet the growing demand of domestic and global customers. With local manufacturing, now customers in India will get faster access to the products, their customization options, and quick serviceability. The expansion will also strengthen the local supplier eco-system for ABB low voltage AC drives portfolio.

A.R. Madhusudan, President, Drive Products, ABB India. said, “This expansion demonstrates our commitment to innovation, delivering world-class sustainable products and solutions for the Indian market as well as to enriching the local supplier base. At a time when India is globally playing a leading role in clean energy, drive products represent leading technology of energy efficiency, termed as the first fuel of clean energy transitions. ABB drives manufactured in India will contribute to country’s energy efficiency journey and its goals across industries, buildings, and infrastructure,” he added.

Variable speed drive supports critical national infrastructure projects such as ventilation for Atal tunnel and COVID-19 vaccination manufacturing for pharma units. ABB drives are part of the HVAC solutions that have been installed for the prestigious Statue of Unity project. The hospitality industry across the country also deploys ABB drives to optimize the energy consumption.

Vesa Kandell, Global Head of Operations, Drive Products, ABB said, “As a result of systematic development activities, I am happy to be witnessing this great opening ceremony with the customers and key suppliers. Team has done an excellent job and we are ready to take even further growth steps together.” .

The new line of production is ergonomically designed with position, angle and torque control and a programmable fastening system. This facility is designed for effective utilization of available space for better productivity and enhanced safety and is equipped with expanded precision testing facility. The expanded facility also employs skilled technicians/ engineers, which includes over 50% women workforce on the production line.

Despite of the great energy-saving and performance-improving potential, currently only about 23% of the world’s motors are paired with a drive. Hence, this factory will play a key role in enabling businesses and industries at large to adopt energy-efficient technologies and help achieve carbon-neutrality.