The Future of Manufacturing: A Deep Dive into Smart Motor Protection

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to ECO Ask why, a podcast that dives into industrial manufacturing topics and spotlights the heroes to keep America running. I'm your host, chris Granger, and on this podcast we do not cover the latest features and benefits on products that come to market. Instead, we focus on advice and insight from the top minds of industry, because people and ideas will be how America remains number one in manufacturing in the world. Eco Ask why. I'm your host, chris Granger. Let's get right into it. So we're hoping that you're liking the new format of ECO Ask why. Now it's not as many interviews, we're kind of diving deeper into topics that we know matter to you, and today we're gonna be expanding on a topic that for me, it's personally exciting because this is a big part of my career over my time at ECO, and we'll be talking about the revolutionizing industry, the role of smart motor protection.

Speaker 1: 0:57

I've spent a lot of time working on motors in our motor repair division back in the day and it's just something that's near and near to my heart and I know for many of you. There's this dance that's going on in manufacturing and the motor is taking the center stage of the dance right because it's driving the rhythms of your operations. Just think about all the pieces of equipment that you have in your plant right now that are making the process happen. Within all that equipment, we know that technology is evolving. The adoption of these new innovations, particularly around smart motor protection, is going to change the game. So we're going to expand upon two here today. We're going to talk about Eden C445 solution, as well as Rockwell Automations, e300 and these types of technologies. They're vital and we're going to look at some significant areas of motor protection technology. That's going to give you some benefits into why you should even care about this. We're going to talk about efficient and robust electrical systems, so let's dive right into it. I know your one line is so important to you One of our mind, all the listeners out there we have a really good episode on how to read a one line on ECO S1, as well as an article inside of our blog.

Speaker 1: 2:15

So if that's something that you're interested in, we'll have some links in the show notes for you out there. Go check that out. We'll love for you to get that in your hands as well as the hands of the people who that really would serve well inside your facility. So check that out again as ECO online, you can check out how to read a single line. Okay, alright, so now the key benefit number one I want to really expand upon today is to start thinking about, together with you all around smart motor protection is the enhanced reliability? Okay, and that leads to prolonged equipment longevity. I mean, really that's what it's all about.

Speaker 1: 2:50

So traditionally I mean, we ran a motor repair services in the past the reliability of electric motors was really depending on how much actual manual monitoring that you did and you had different types of protections that you had available for these, and all this was good, but it had challenges, and a lot of those challenges were around who was collecting the data? How often were you looking at the data? You know there was a lot of times there was. Snapshots are right there in the moment versus looking at an ongoing continuous loop of data in the moment right. However, we have smart motor protection now and this technology, just like the 445 and the E300, they've changed everything and we started to change everything about our basic assumptions on motor protection, because we're looking at real time information and that changes. That changes so much, okay, because keen insight that we're able to get to the actual performance of the motors really matters because you can start by identifying irregularities such as overheating or voltage imbalances or fell or potential failures or things that have come, come on to of the condition of the motor. That can actually, you know, take away its run life. And what you're doing here is, if you're looking at a continuous on time, wow, at that point your liability is going to the roof. You're actually mitigating that downtime and extending a lifespan because you're able to see what's going on in the equipment. It's not just on the emphasis here, it's not just on the products, but on the on the shift of the approach. We're going from that reactive right where we're going to really, when motor fails need to do something to proactive. Now I know there are steps in between. I get you have vibration programs. You know my motor liability programs heck, we used to run some of these. I totally get the value of that. Right now we're not saying don't do that.

Speaker 1: 4:42

But if you're not incorporating smart motor protection along with those technologies, you're missing a big opportunity right here, because every moment of downtime incurs costs. It's just be real. And if you want to enhance your out reliability, you use smart motor protection and you use as a linchpin. As For you as a manufacturer, to have that uninterrupted operations, because we know that's what you want. We want you to avoid that. Those catastrophic failures, those downtime that you're not playing for, that you have to shut a line down, for that disrupts your, your people, your flow, your product, your output all that stuff Makes a big stress point for manufacturing. We get it. So smart motor protection helps you can have that continuous production flow Okay and increase the overall efficiency. So think about it as well from this standpoint.

Speaker 1: 5:35

Consider the broader implications of this in a of this enable enhancement right here, because you're grappling with technologies that they're that are that are happening in a highly competitive industrial market. Let's just be real. So to meet these production targets without interruptions, that becomes a strategic advantage that you have the dollars don't Okay, because your clients, the people that you're selling your products to, they're gonna start to see the value and the Reliability that you're able to deliver at the manufacturer with your process. So I'm telling you it has a bigger implication. This smart motor protection technology. Everything is changing out there in the world, industrial and industrial manufacturing. This is not a piece you just want to overlook, because there is so much to the motor circuit. It's particularly someone who loves to motor circuit and we this is what this is really, where we try to spend a lot of time at eco and trying to help others understand their motor circuit so this key benefit again of enhanced reliability Can't be under emphasized enough. I'm telling you this is a great chance for you to look at all right now.

Speaker 1: 6:37

The second area I want you to think about when it comes to smart motor protection, is that actual, the way that you can Optimize your energy efficiency? Okay, because we know that if you're out there, you're running a manufacturing facility. It's all about making sure that we're efficient, right, because that landscape that's out there right now, that in energy efficiency, is not only desirable but it's critical. Because look at your energy bill each and every month. If you don't have access to that, I guarantee your energy bill within your manufacturing plant is astronomical.

Speaker 1: 7:07

Because motors, electric motors, they consume a lot of current and that traditional motor protection fall short and just really getting down to the, the granularity that's needed to understand the true requirements of the electric motors, understand the true requirements of the electric motors Because, let's just face it, if they could just all be operating in a lab, we probably wouldn't have very many motor issues. But they're not. They're operating in an industrial environment and when we know that we have to treat them differently and when you have the opportunity to use technologies like the C445, like the E300 from Rockwell, that stands out because of the optimal energy efficiency that it inhibits. So these systems empower manufacturers with lots of detailed insights into the consumption patterns and what they're doing. They're using a lot of sophisticated monitoring and analytics and then through that, your operators the people that are actually operating your equipment they can identify inefficiencies and implement corrective measures. So it starts changing the game because along the way, you're aligning your operations with the push towards sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing.

Speaker 1: 8:23

Everybody wins here in this scenario, because the impact of energy efficiency on operational costs is immense, because you had that initial investment in smart motor protection that you have to make right and you may think that you know what that's seen significant on all my motors and you're probably right. So be selective here and think from a long-term standpoint, because the long-term savings occurred through that optimal energy protection. It's going to be significant, it's going to make a big deal and it goes far outweigh those initial costs. That's going to occur and you need to be thinking about the environmental sustainability because that forefront of that we know so many corporations out there. This is a big area of focus, of responsibility, and when you start implementing technology like this, it's going to really move the needle and it's going to align to that manufacturing process the things that you're doing to your expectations. And this moves beyond just cost savings. When you're optimizing energy usage, you start contributing more to environmental conservation. You just have ways to do that. You can align your practices to what's going on from a broader standpoint, to your overall social responsibility. So this is a big deal. This is an opportunity, with smart motor protection, to really put that focus on energy consumption and align everything there to help you shape your manufacturing process from an economical standpoint and environmentally as well, because I know that's a big priority for everybody out there. So I know optimal energy efficiency key benefit number two. Now the third benefit I want you to think about as we work through this together is to proactive maintenance strategies, and that means you're going to start turning that downtime into uptime, and now I've probably got a few people that are like, oh really, yep. So here's how it works.

Speaker 1: 10:07

The concept of predictive maintenance. Again, I've already told you about that. We've done it. We used to do predictive maintenance and I've done this predictive maintenance program. I absolutely love them, but they are a cornerstone to smart manufacturing.

Speaker 1: 10:19

Smart motor protection is instrumental. If you're not incorporating this, you're missing a chance, you're missing an opportunity. Because that traditional maintenance it has an approach right. And what is that approach? Typically, if something's happening, I need to go take care of it, whereas if you're moving to that proactive maintenance, you're really shifting the game, because you're not just thinking about breakdowns or the cost that's associated. How quickly can we get this back up? Now you've changed your mindset.

Speaker 1: 10:47

Now the C445, the E300, they usher in a new era of maintenance strategies because you're looking at a more proactive approach, that continuous monitoring, continuous of those motor parameters that are important to you. That allows your systems to predict potential issues before they actually escalate into something you can't control like a critical failure. You don't want you to have critical failures out there. And this foresight empowers maintenance and that's awesome. When you can start empowering maintenance teams, it changes the game because then they can start scheduling, get ahead of target and not be stressed out and not be under the spotlight and able to do things to avoid that emergency situation, that when you are in an emergency, that's when mistakes typically can happen because of pressures up, and you're shifting from that reactive to that proactive.

Speaker 1: 11:41

And this is a monument of change right here for industry, because you start embracing technology like smart mode protection and you're able to move from that unplanned downtime to a streamlined maintenance of operations, reducing the overall cost to keep that equipment running. And this is about a transformation again of downtime that you're just unexpected to plan, because we're not going to say you can never get rid of downtime, because that's just not a reality. You're going to have downtime, but wouldn't you rather control it? Control the controllables, take the variables out of the equation that you don't under that you did that are out of your hand, and you do that by making sure that you're using technology that is available right now to help you move the needle down the field. Okay, all right, now think about this shift overall and the overall efficiency of your plan as well, because that unplanned downtime as a result of those unexpected equipment failures, well, that has cascading results, right, the dominoes keep falling because you didn't actually know. You're changing up the schedule, you're changing up your order to film it, because for satisfaction may be going down, but if you're proactive here, okay, if you're proactive you can use a technology like smart motor protection and really start charting a course towards continuous uninterrupted operations with your efficiency going up. So, again, that's a key benefit.

Speaker 1: 13:06

Number three so I really want you to think about this as we start exploring these technologies together with smart motor protection the 445 by Eaton, the Rockwell E300. They're really great examples of smart motor protection technology From a broader landscape out there. That's out there, there's lots of innovations aimed at enhancing your industrial processes and manufacturers out there. Like you like you're listening you have to navigate these technologies right. You need to make sure that the technology that's out there is addressing the specific need that you have, with the features and benefits that you need and the capabilities that you need to address your problem. And you have to understand some of these nuances and to do that it takes time, because you need to be able to explore how compatible the technology is with your existing system. That's a known variable that you need to understand and you need to consider scalability. How can you take this and scale it out throughout your manufacturing plan, because the objective is not just to adopt technology anybody can do that but you need to strategically integrate solutions. That's going to put you in a position where that manufacturing operations that you are actually in charge of is headed in the direction that you want, with more efficiency and more resilience.

Speaker 1: 14:29

At Eco, I'm just going to be straight up with you. We understand this and this is where we can really help, because we have a couple of innovative labs in Virginia and in the Carolinas where you can really get hands-on and I mean hands-on with the latest technologies out there, just like we're talking about here today with the Eaton C445 and the Rockwell Automation E300, you can get in these labs, you can explore, you can bring in your situation, and our product management team is ready to help you. Hey, let's figure this out. Okay, so check out the show notes. We'll have a link there where you can actually schedule time in our lab directly. It's pretty awesome how we have this set up, because we want to give you the opportunity to get hands-on, because I want you to make empowered and informed decisions, and you do that by understanding what the technology you're working with right. That's how you just have that education and that confidence is built Now, as you start implementing this stuff, to get this stuff into your plan, like technology like this, you need to start thinking about a phased approach.

Speaker 1: 15:36

Okay, start thinking about your evaluation, how you going to install it, and then how are you going to continually optimize it. If you do that, you're going to start getting more and more advocates within your facility. When you collaborate with experts in the field, like Eco, you leverage the guidance provided by the vendors, like we're talking about here. By going to one of our labs, you can start really changing the culture, and that culture is going to be a continuous improvement culture, and that's a big deal. So, as you start thinking about smart motor protection, don't just think of it as a technology upgrade, but think from a more holistic standpoint, but how you can actually proceed, manage, optimize your process. This is really where it's at. Simple technology like this can really be a catalyst to help you move forward, okay, and so it's an opportunity for you to explore things here.

Speaker 1: 16:28

So we have resources for you, like the C445, we have an integration guide. So, again, check out their show notes. We want to have those resources available because we know it's not just you can't just select it. You need help implementing it as well, and that implementation. That's where the river meets the road and that's where you need to make sure you're partnering with vendors that are going to support you, that have the expertise first and foremost, and that can be there with you in the trenches, and that's what we want to do for you here at Eco.

Speaker 1: 16:56

So, as you start thinking about this smart, more protection technology particularly the Eden C445 and the Rockwell E300, think about just past the feature right, not just the features and benefits, but again that fundamental shift and the approach from that reactive to the manual methods to proactive to now you have technology driven solutions. And this is far beyond the products themselves, guys. This is much bigger, because we're talking about enhancer reliability, that's ensuring that uninterrupted operations and that downtime is going down and your fiscal impact of that downtime is guess what? That's going down as well and you're able to actually optimize your energy usage. You start aligning these practices and these growth and, next thing, you know, you have a lot of advocates on your side. I'm telling you, just as what it's all about is continuing to be more and more competitive out there from the industrial landscape, and when you think about the industrial revolution where it's headed now.

Speaker 1: 18:01

You have to have technologies like smart motor protection. That's indeniable. You cannot run a facility unless you have the most important data at your fingertips, because it's a cornerstone If you're going to build resilient, efficient, future-ready manufacturing ecosystems. You have to have this information, you have to have this technology, because we're trying to transform the impact with technology like this as a beacon for industries, that not just to produce products, but to have those overall solutions that elevate your operations. So again, big deal here on how smart motor protection can work for you and as you stand on the cusp, you start thinking about the future for your manufacturing plant and the role of smart motor protection and how that's going to work for you.

Speaker 1: 18:47

I encourage you to do some exploration, do some research on your own, start thinking about intelligent motor management from a broader standpoint and let's see how that can actually have an impact on any facilities. Because I'm telling you you're going to see more and more of a drive where we need to have interconnected systems. You're going to want systems that talk to each other. You're going to have data-driven insights not just how I feel about things, but what does the data say and you want to start moving more and more and more into that proactive maintenance management. Right, because that's a lower cost model from a stamp, particularly as you're not working from a reactive. And all this is happening at the same time that the market, the market whatever market it's you're serving is demanding more and more and more.

Speaker 1: 19:35

So, again, it's not just a piece of the component, right, this is a catalyst that's going to move you forward, and when you start investing and navigating a landscape like this, you really need to have partners on your side, like Eco, that can come along and journey beside you. Okay, because it really starts with just a single step, and that step involves that initial exploration, evaluation and a commitment to the technology that's going to serve you the best. So don't miss this opportunity here. And, even if it's not Eco, find a company that you can work with, that you trust, that is transparent, that is open, that's going to give you the information that you need. I'm telling you, be careful. Feature and benefit presentations this is just from experience here. While features and benefits are okay, you need to know for you what's most important and rule everything else out. You know, set everything else on the side If you get this, and that's great, but make sure that you're not just, you know, blown away by all the features and benefits and next thing, you know it doesn't have what you really need to move you forward. And then, once you understand the technology that you need and the features and benefits that you need, start figuring out how you're gonna integrate that. Okay, if I had this information, how could I actually pull this information in to my system to make better decisions? And once you get to that level of thinking and then improve it, improve points. I'd also encourage doing smaller tests, not big tests. Do small tests and see how the technology works. Then, when some initial advocates you're gonna think big, act small. You do that. Then you start changing Because the call to action is clear, absolutely clear.

Speaker 1: 21:17

You have to embrace the future. You need to start investing in smart motor protection. You gotta start positioning your manufacturing ecosystem rather as a beacon of efficiency, resilience and innovation, because this market's changing. It's the toughest we've ever seen. It's not gonna get any easier. You have to be out there, you have to be thinking, you have to be looking for little edges and advantages, and smart motor protection is a great way, because the last thing you want is in the middle of the night to get that unexpected call At this motor asset. It just went down and production was not. It's not operating. Now can that always go away 100%? I'm not gonna say here in line I'll tell you and say yes, but I can tell you one thing you can take a proactive approach with technology like this to put yourself in a much better position where those calls are at least minimal at least minimal and you can control your controllables. So start looking at smart motor protection. If you think technology like this and experts in this technology, they are at your fingertips. They are here For one, our team of eco.

Speaker 1: 22:21

I mentioned this a few times, but we are ready to be your partner. We are ready to serve. We have experts in the area of smart motor protection that's gonna leave you confident, confident as you move forward. So we'll put a link in our show notes as well. If you wanna connect with us directly, we'd love to hear from you. This is what we do at eco. We try to come in people and ideas over products. We try to make sure that we're putting everything we can in front of you to help you make the best decisions moving forward, and we're very passionate also about smart motor protection.

Speaker 1: 22:51

If you can't tell, I'm pretty excited about this one. We got to, we put our counter together and said, okay, what were we gonna work on next? And this one came up. It was like, oh yeah, I'm looking forward to that. That's gonna be awesome because I know the value. When you look at the stats out there on how much energy consumption is in motors and industrial manufacturing facilities, it's unbelievable. And just think about that. Right, that's your biggest cost line on your P&L inside your manufacturing plant. Why would you not wanna put some protection around it? Why wouldn't you want to do everything you can to make sure those assets, those critical assets, are gonna deliver for you when you need them? Cause we know, at the end of the day, you don't wanna pay for an electric motor. What are you ultimately paying for? You're paying for a rotating shaft that's gonna deliver torque that you're gonna use to move a process down the line. You don't wanna think about the motor. So, if you don't wanna think about the motor, consider smart motor protection as a part of your overall strategy for your motor management system, and when you start incorporating that into the overall scheme, it changes the game. It really does.

Speaker 1: 23:54

So, again, connect with us. You can always head over to ecoonlinecom as well. Lots of resources there. We'll have blogs there. We'll have all sorts of ways where you can learn more. Again, check out our system design page. If you have a new system design, you wanna start thinking about how smart motor protection is involved. Let us know. If you have an existing single line or one line you might. Okay, all right, eco, how can you help us make this more avatacious with smart motor protection in the future, or smart motor technology? Let's take a look at it with you.

Speaker 1: 24:23

This is what we do. We are experts on the motor circuit from an automation, from a power, from a networking standpoint. We have people, we have resources, we have teams ready to jump in and serve. So, again, reach out to us, let us know. You can follow us at ecoonline. That's E-E-C-O onlinecom. That's our website, and if you think this podcast is helping you be a better leader within your manufacturing facility, share with others. This is what it's all about.

Speaker 1: 24:52

Use information like this to help you continue to grow in your career. If you would leave us a rating and review, that would be awesome. We'd love to connect with you. You can connect with me directly on LinkedIn as well. I'm very try to be very active to support all the things that we're building at ECO and just connect with our ECO electrical equipment company LinkedIn Page as well. We put a lots of great information out there, lots of great information where you can connect, and we'll make sure we have that link in the show notes as well for you so you can follow us on ECO LinkedIn. And each month on the ECO LinkedIn page we put out a newsletter. It's a great way just to get more and more information, more and more data at your fingertips to make better decisions. So there you go.

Speaker 1: 25:35

Would love to know what your feedback is of the new ECO ASY, how things are, how it's being received by you all. Thank you for all that are listening. We know a lot of you out there that are still following us, that you're back following us now. So thank you so much for that. We'll love to hear your insight on what you hope that we cover next so you can always reach out to us. You have we'll make sure we have some links to our the way you can connect with us directly in the show notes as well. We'd love to get your feedback, your insights.

Speaker 1: 26:02

What is the technology you'd like for us to cover? What's an area that you have questions about in your industrial manufacturing process? Because, at the end of the day, people and ideas over products. You are what's most important to listen, and the people that we serve inside industrial manufacturing facilities. So we want to serve you more and help you. We want to help you grow and, again, hopefully this conversation of smart motor protection has at least opened your eyes to the technology.

Speaker 1: 26:25

Now go, take some action, invest a little bit of time. Come to one of our labs. Let's all just go together. Okay, all right, well, give us the rating review. Thank you again for your time, looking forward to seeing you next time on ECO ASY and remember, amongst all this stuff, what keep asking why? Thank you for listening to ECO ASY. This show is supported ad free by Electrical Equipment Company. Eco is redefining the expectations of an electrical distributor by placing people and ideas before products. Please subscribe and share with your colleagues and friends. Also leave comments, feedback and any new topics that you would like to hear. To learn more or to share your insights, visit ECOSYcom. That's E-E-C-O-A-S-K-S-W-H-Ycom.