Peter-Stefan Tampsi, Segment Manager at ABB IEC Low Voltage Motors, breaks down the role of industrial electric motors in improving efficiency and boosting productivity across the global metals industry.
Rapidly increasing demand for steel, aluminium, and copper has brought the metals industry to a critical juncture, and ensuring that growth is sustainable globally is an ongoing challenge. Regions with stringent environmental regulations can attest to low emissions, but higher operational and energy costs in these regions are an obstacle to their competitiveness.
Meanwhile, metals produced cheaply in one region sold to another are for many a cost-effective option — but they have a higher carbon impact. According to the IEA, the metals industry produces around 2.6 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions annually, representing roughly 7% of global emissions, and this will only grow as globalisation increases.
In this context, industrial electric motors paired with drives — Roller table motors for mills, high dynamic performance (HDP) motors for hoists and sheet metal coilers, and IE4 general performance motors and IE5 synchronous reluctance motors (SynRM) for fans, pumps, and compressors — present a path forward. They enhance reliability, robustness, and efficiency, giving metals producers the edge whether their objectives are to cut carbon or cut costs.
A snapshot of global metals
European steel production has dropped 18% since its 2007 peak, while aluminium smelters have cut output by up to 50% since 2021 because of soaring electricity costs. High energy prices, regulations, and global competition have forced mill closures. While its high environmental standards are still a selling point for conscientious buyers, there’s an urgent need to improve productivity and reduce costs.
The Americas are seeing a resurgence in metals production, led by demand for automotive steel, aerospace alloys, and electrical-grade aluminium. Their focus is on automation and electrification to improve efficiency and competitiveness. Copper production in Chile continues to dominate a third of the world’s supply, and by prioritising local output, the US is looking to compete with other global powers while maintaining a strong industry foothold.
Asia, particularly China and India, dominates global metal production, with China alone producing over half the world’s steel. This momentum is pressuring European and American producers to innovate — but while output was the top priority for decades, reducing energy waste is now key. Movement in this direction has picked up in recent years, with the Japanese and Korean markets seeing an uptake of variable speed drives (VSDs) for precision in metals processing for their booming electronics industries.
The role of IEC low voltage motors
Roller tables keep steel slabs moving. As they are subject to an extremely hot operational environment and require sudden stops and starts in both directions, roller tables fitted with outdated induction motors of lower efficiency classes are much more prone to overheating. Designed with vertical fins for natural cooling, ABB’s Roller table motors are exceptionally heat resistant, slashing maintenance downtime and costly production stoppages.
Specialised HDP motors are an ideal solution in aluminium production, for cranes and hoists used to lift and transport heavy metal parts such as billets, slabs, and ingots, and for sheet metal coilers. Able to handle dynamic loads with rapid bursts of acceleration, they are highly robust and far surpass the longevity of a typical induction motor in the same application.
Premium induction motors can also outshine the currently installed base. ABB’s General and Process Performance motors are of the IE4 efficiency class, meaning they are 97% energy efficient. And anywhere you have an induction motor, you can have an IE5 SynRM. Match these with VSDs from the same supplier, and the efficiency gains are unmatched.
Upgrades in Bulgaria and South Korea
This shift is already happening worldwide. Aurubis in Bulgaria, for example, is upgrading its Pirdop copper plant with IE4 induction and IE5 SynRM motors, many of them paired with ABB’s ACS880 industrial drives. With a payback period of only 3.5 years, Aurubis stands to save a full 25 GWh annually, cutting emissions by 12,000 tons. The dual ROI is clear: slashing energy costs, while simultaneously aligning with EU Green Deal targets.
On the other side of the globe, POSCO has upgraded a hot strip mill in South Korea by replacing aging DC roller table motors with 70 AC motor-drive packages. Unlike DC motors, which require frequent replacements of components like carbon brushes, ABB’s AC Roller table motors demand minimal upkeep due to their heat resistance, cutting downtime, costs, and overall emissions.
Whatever uncertainties the global metals industries may face — supply chains, economies, regulations, or geopolitics — it’s clear that the certainty of efficient and robust electric motors must be at the core of their strategies. By relying on technology that performs hour after hour without waste or interruption, industry leaders will be able to weather any storm.
