Challenge: No room for compromise
Mill drives in the food industry are highly critical components and by no means interchangeable standard units. Every hour of unplanned downtime has a direct impact on throughput, supply chains, and production scheduling. When one of these drives unexpectedly failed at our customer’s facility in Italy, fast and precise action was essential. The objective was to restore production as quickly as possible while reliably meeting all technical and regulatory requirements.
The ATEX explosion protection requirements, combined with operation via a frequency inverter, placed high demands on the insulation system, thermal behaviour, and electromagnetic design. Another key factor was that the replacement motor had to integrate seamlessly into the existing installation, both mechanically and electrically, without modifications to the foundation, without realignment of the coupling, and without rerouting the existing cabling.
Solution: Drop-in replacement engineered for minimal downtime
MENZEL configured a specially adapted squirrel-cage induction motor for this application, rated at 1,120 kW and 690 V. The primary focus was not only on electrical and mechanical performance, but above all on seamless integration into the existing plant infrastructure. All mounting and connection dimensions were precisely matched to the original unit. As a result, the motor replacement could be carried out without any modifications to the foundation, without realignment of the coupling, and without additional mechanical installation work.
Particular attention was paid to the electrical interface. The customer’s connection concept required the routing of twelve incoming power cables. Consequently, terminal box dimensions, bending radii, and accessibility were critical factors for ensuring a safe and efficient installation. MENZEL therefore designed and installed an oversized terminal box positioned exactly at the same location as on the original motor. This enabled clean and secure cable routing, reduced installation time, and minimized the risk of assembly errors under significant time pressure.
In addition, the motor was fully designed in compliance with explosion protection requirements and optimized for operation with a frequency converter. The adapted electrical, thermal, and electromagnetic design ensures reliable performance even under continuous electrical and thermal load conditions.
Technical Data
- Motor Type: Asynchronous squirrel-cage motor MEBKSLT450-06
- Rated Power: 1,120 kW (1,520 HP)
- Explosion protection: II 3D Ex tc IIIB T125 °C Dc
- Rated Voltage: 690 V
- Frequency: 50 Hz
- Rated Speed: 990 min⁻¹
- Number of Poles: 6
- Frame Type: IM 1001 (IM B3)
- Protection Class: IP 55
- Cooling Type: IC 611 (TEAAC Totally-enclosed air-air-cooled)
- Weight: 6,300 kg
- Delivery time: 3 weeks
Your Advantage: Engineering depth that pays off
This project demonstrates how technical precision in the design phase translates directly into operational and economic benefits. You receive not just a high-performance motor, but a ready-to-run complete solution combining ATEX compliance, VFD suitability, and dimensional compatibility in a single unit.
By consistently aligning every detail to the existing installation from mounting dimensions to terminal box position costly on-site modification work is eliminated entirely. The result: shorter downtime, reduced commissioning risk, and less pressure on your maintenance teams when every minute of an unplanned outage counts.
Similar Requirements? Whether you need an ATEX-compliant replacement, a VFD-ready retrofit, or a dimensionally matched drop-in: we develop a solution that reduces your commissioning risk and gets your production back on track fast.
