Behind The Motion
Of Motor Control
The challenges faced by OEMs on the cutting edge of drive development
T
he market for variable-speed drive (VSD) based motor control is growing rapidly. A result of increasing
global consumption, rising electricity prices and frantic infrastructure development in newly industrialised
countries (NICs), the global market is expected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4
per cent from 2014, reaching a total value of $22.7 billion by 2019. Underlying this trend is a concerted
effort by leading VSD manufacturers, such as UK based Invertek drives, to undergo collaborative
development for further product innovation.
Today’s consumer culture is symptomatic
of efforts that are, “good enough”, “close
enough” and, “it’ll do” in attitude. However,
for those few individuals and organisations
who pluck up the courage to venture
beyond the good and into the great, there
are some serious rewards to be reaped.
Would many of today’s engineering
milestones have been achieved if Thomas
Edison had succumbed to thousands of
failed inventions?
When quizzed, Edison quipped, “I have
not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed
once. I have succeeded in proving that
those 10,000 ways will not work. When
I have eliminated the ways that will not
work, I will find the way that will work.” He
went on to invent the light bulb, the video
camera and the record player.
The world of industrial engineering
has come a long way since then. Today,
most industrial sectors now have access
to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)
components that are designed to fulfil a
purpose. Industries the world over, from
food and beverage and packaging to
maritime and offshore applications, make