AMR – Two-way traffic in drive technology

An efficient motor cannot function without a good frequency converter. Drive specialist AMR and industrial service provider Breemes work together to deliver complete drive solutions. The retrofitting of an entire machine illustrates their intensive collaboration. ‘Whether customers contact AMR or Breemes, we work together to ensure that everything is taken care of for them.’

As a drive specialist, AMR serves various industries with solutions for industrial electric motors, gear motors, pumps and fans. The Belgian family business has branches in Alken and Zandhoven and employs thirty people. Co-manager Annelies Oosterlynck runs the company together with her brother Michael. ‘We strive for maximum machine efficiency for every industrial organisation. Because we want to be close to our customers, we have two branches in Flanders.’ AMR supplies an extensive range of products and also provides a wide range of services, such as repair, overhaul, (predictive) maintenance, monitoring and advice on energy saving.

The same values and quality standards

AMR focuses primarily on mechanical work and has been using Breemes as its supplier for electrical engineering for many years, says Oosterlynck. "For the past two or three years, they have really been a partner for us. We call on Breemes for frequency converters, the drives for the motors we supply. We have made a conscious decision to work with them because we broadly share the same values and quality standards.‘ Jos Hensen, Industrial Automation Product Specialist at Breemes, agrees. ’Conversely, we also regularly receive requests from customers for a motor in combination with a frequency converter. The first partner we ask for a quote for the motor is AMR. In this way, we try to supply the entire drive chain for the customer together.‘ Oosterlynck: ’It's really a two-way street in our relationship."

“This was truly a project from start to finish.”

A good illustration of the collaboration is an AMR project for a large industrial customer. Oosterlynck: “We always supplied standard drives, but at one point we were asked if we wanted to retrofit an entire machine. That also involved the electrical part. We first analysed the existing situation: what is the setup and what power and torque does production require? Which motor and which drive are best suited for this?” The result was a drive with an energy-efficient IE4 motor equipped with good speed control and better torque control than before. The belt transmission was replaced by a flexible coupling that can no longer slip. ‘All of these things yield small benefits for the customer. We then took a practical look at the installation in the existing environment: how should we use the base plates to make the motor fit, are all the connections present, are the existing cables still adequate? This was truly a project from start to finish.’

Breemes was involved from the outset, says Hensen. "We were consulted about the electrical drive system because we had to have the right layout for the new controller. There was quite a lot of dust in the factory, so we couldn't install a ventilation-cooled controller there. The preference was for a water-cooled solution. We found this together with Siemens, whose drives were already in use by the customer. At the customer's request, we also provided additional controls on the electrical control box in which the controller was to be installed. These included a start-stop button for local mode and additional signalling related to the status of the controller."

Tight schedule

The challenge was to carry out the conversion in a short period of time, because production could not be shut down for too long, explains Oosterlynck. "We were given two weeks, which was very short. Especially since cables had to be re-laid, the water supply for cooling had to be installed and we had to arrange the necessary hoisting work. This required enormous planning in advance, also for the preparatory work that Breemes had to do. We completed the mechanical part, including removal and installation, in one week. Then the specialists from Siemens came to check the drive settings and there were two more days for testing." As a regular Siemens partner, Breemes had arranged this, confirms Hensen.

 

‘We have a great deal of confidence in Breemes.’

After two weeks, the machine was running well and the customer was so satisfied that he decided to commission AMR to retrofit four other machines. The first of these is scheduled for the end of this year, Oosterlynck reports. All this is thanks to the good cooperation between AMR and Breemes. ‘It's great that we recognise each other's added value and technical knowledge. We have a great deal of confidence in Breemes, their choice of drives and their support when we have questions.’

One-stop shop

Both parties have the ambition to further intensify this collaboration, Hensen reports. ‘Our intention is to gradually grow together in the drive market. With our profile as recognised by AMR, as a partner that offers solutions to customers, we at Breemes can certainly continue to grow. We can really support customers and are more than just a company that supplies the codes that customers specify. We want to communicate that even better.’

Oosterlynck agrees on behalf of her own company. "We want to show the market that, with AMR, we are not just an MRO business (for maintenance, repair & operations, ed.), but that we actually have a great deal of technical knowledge in-house. It would be nice if manufacturing companies in Belgium knew that they have a one-stop shop here for their drive problems. We hope that the added value we recognise in each other will also be recognised by the market. Whether customers contact AMR or Breemes, we will work together to ensure that everything is taken care of for them."

In addition, both companies are available 24/7, Hensen concludes. ‘In an emergency, we can help the customer with standard products. Both AMR, in the field of electric motors and gear motors, and Breemes, in the field of electronics and controls, have sufficient stock to be able to help the customer at any time. Whether it's at night or at the weekend, our doors are always open.’

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