Why a Major Compressor Manufacturer Works with WEG Packaged Solutions

Author: Rich Muraca, National Business Development Manager, Packaged Solutions, WEG Electric Corp.

With an annual consolidated revenue in the billions, this major compressor manufacturer is one of the largest suppliers of compressors used for industrial refrigeration and air conditioning. This global supplier of process technology relies on WEG Packaged Solutions when providing equipment for a range of applications; the majority of which are for the food and beverage industry.

This high-volume manufacturer has been ordering packages containing WEG soft starters and VFD packages for years. These packages have typically included CFW 11 Variable Frequency Drives, SSW07 Soft Starters for up to 300HP, and SSW06 Soft Starters for 300HP to 1,000HP. In 2017, the Engineers with WEG Packaged Solutions worked with the OEM to discuss more flexible features that could potentially empower the manufacturer to gain more market share.

After discussing feedback from some of the manufacturer’s distributors and customers, the Engineers at WEG developed new options for this OEM’s packaged solutions. The Engineers designed a Universal Enclosure, so that no matter how an electrical contractor pulled the power cable to feed the panel or the motor leads, the power cables would always line up quickly and easily. Also, the WEG enclosure is engineered to support heavy loads, unlike traditional designs where corner collar studs often break when a heavy component is mounted to the subpanel (for instance, an 800HP VFD can weigh ~470lbs.)

Some of the OEMs customers requested ‘rotary vs. flange’ on the disconnect options. Typically, there are 2 different types of enclosures found in ‘off-the shelf’ options, but WEG’s Engineers designed one enclosure to encompass features found in both types. Customers also wanted the top modified so that when electrical contractors install conduit and power wires, they can take the gland plate off, drill it, and put the conduit on so that none of the metal shavings from drilling and tapping fall into the electronics and cause problems.

Another request made to the WEG Engineers was to have universal power cabling because they never knew if the customer’s electrical contractor was going to come into the bottom, the top, or the sides – and per UL quality standards – there must be some bend radius and appropriately placed access points. WEG gave this OEM a design that is universal; it can be ‘top in’, ‘top out’, ‘bottom in’, or ‘bottom out’.  Designed for any configuration, this new design has addressed customer issues and enhanced customer experiences in the field.

Safety was also greatly enhanced.  WEG’s Engineers designed a ‘door-in-door’ low voltage compartment so that anything on the secondary side of the transformer (120-volts or below) could be accessible without going into the line for higher voltage to higher power. This means that a technician does not have to go through the line power / hard power to plug their computer in for monitoring or shut off. Furthermore, WEG added roof-mounted fans and low voltage doors to the enclosures, further helping the manufacturer; if they had to use traditional fans (door-mounted and side mounted fans), the cost would have been much higher to achieve the required air flow.

The manufacturer continues to work with WEG, using their smart part numbering system to pick and choose any of these engineered options, so they can smoothly place an order and quickly sell their product!  The smart part number enables WEG to assign a specific code for the entire product line, including the options, to design a complete package solution. WEG is able to predesign every configuration, structure the AutoCAD drawings & BOM design to be easily selectable for any configuration that can be ordered based on that particular product line. The benefits include helping customers define inventory requirements to establish the material pipeline and empowering them to configure the product according to voltage, HP, amps, type of motor control, and any other option. The configurator produces the smart part number and net price, creating a smooth ordering process through WEG that results in a quality built package solution delivered to their customers on-time or Just-In-Time.

Learn more by emailing Rich Muraca at WEG Packaged Solutions – rmuraca@weg.net.

About WEG Electric Corp.

Founded in 1961, WEG Electric Corp. has grown into a global solutions provider of industrial electrical technologies. WEG is the largest industrial electric motor manufacturer in the Americas and one of the largest manufacturers of electric motors in the world producing over ten million units annually. Committed

to growth on a global scale, WEG continually invests in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and processes, and the development of new and improved industrial electrical solutions. WEG offers a diverse and integrated product line that includes motors, drives, controls, transformers, generators, and packaged solutions.