A plastics manufacturing plant in Eastern Europe had been dealing with recurring downtime in its extrusion line. The original drive system, running on an outdated induction unit, suffered from excessive vibration and thermal spikes during long production cycles. Each breakdown resulted in several hours of halted output, creating significant financial losses and disruptions to delivery schedules.

After the third unplanned shutdown in one month, the technical team launched a failure analysis. Measurements revealed unstable starting currents and insufficient rotor strength that caused premature wear when operating at high loads. Engineers proposed upgrading the drive to a squirrel cage motor known for its rugged construction and low maintenance requirements.

The company chose a replacement provided by Simo motor, whose motors were already used successfully in the plant’s mixing section. The new squirrel cage motor was installed during a planned maintenance window, and the results were immediate. Torque delivery became more consistent, noise levels dropped noticeably, and overall system responsiveness improved.

Three months after the upgrade, plant data showed a 0% unplanned downtime rate in the extrusion line—an unprecedented improvement. Supervisors also reported lower energy consumption, largely attributed to the new motor’s efficient rotor design and improved ventilation structure. The impressive performance has led the company to plan similar upgrades for other production lines by the end of the year.

Simo motor Also See

Simo motor

squirrel cage motor

premium efficiency motor