Local electric motor manufacturer Actom Electrical Machines celebrated its sixty- fifth anniversary at its Benoni premises last month, at which it also officially launched its range of high-specification medium-voltage (MV) and low-voltage (LV) motors.

The new MS4 range of cast-iron MV motors incorporates modern technology, as well as high-quality electrical steel and insulation systems. The range comprises totally enclosed fan-cooled motors of up to 1 800 kW, with frame sizes between 355 and 560, and voltages between 400 V and 11 kV.

The MS4 motors, which are fully inter-changeable with Actom’s previous 1LA1 range, incorporate soundproofing systems that significantly reduce full-load running noise levels and new large-format terminal boxes that facilitate ease of installation and reduce the risk of flash-overs during operation.

The LV LS5 range is available from 0.25 kW to 450 kW, at voltages of 400 V or 525 V as a standard, and covers frame sizes from 80 to 355. Other features include a Class H insulation system, vacuum pressure impregnation of the stator winding, class B temperature rise, enclosure or ingress protection (IP) rating of up to IP66, regreasable heavy-duty bearings on frame sizes above 132 and reduced vibration levels.

Standard features on 355 frames are space heaters, bearing and winding resistance tem-perature detectors, which were all previously available only as options.

Meanwhile, Actom chairperson and group CEO Mark Wilson highlighted at the anniver-sary celebrations that the company was committed to South Africa and local content, as well as to developing the company’s many business divisions.

“In the global environment of competition, we need, in South Africa, to support our local companies and we need to support leadership and have cooperation between unions and government. It is critical that we get strategies right going forward. A commitment to develop- ing local skills and complying with government [regulation] and what the customer wants is crucial,” he stated.

Actom Electrical Machines’ divisional CEO Paul Cuthbert said that longevity was on the company’s side and that its history and success revolved around forging relationships with customers and clients.

He further announced that Actom Electrical Machines and variable-speed drives (VSDs) supplier Rockwell Automation recently concluded a cooperation agreement, whereby they undertook to endorse each other’s products.

The aim of this deal is to encourage cus-tomers to go the route of buying a package comprising both Actom motors and Rockwell VSDs, which Cuthbert said were complementary and well matched.

Further partnerships that Actom Electrical Machines has established are with its sister companies, electrical and mechanical repairers LH Marthinusen and Marthinusen & Coutts, for the repair of Actom’s LV motors and MV motors respectively.

Further, Actom Electrical Machines GM Antonio Teixeira highlighted that, over the last 18 months, the company had also seen sig-nificant upgrades on its MV and LV test-beds.

“On the MV side, we can test continuous direct-load motors of up to 2.3 MW, [and ours] is the only such testing station in South Africa. Next year, we will implement phase two to test up to 4.4 MW motors. On the LV side, we have refurbished the LV test-bed. We have three testing stations and we can measure efficiencies with input and output power. We can test up to 400 kW direct load.

“A new computer numerically controlled notching press has been commissioned. This will reduce the set-up times in the manufacture of stator and rotor laminations by a factor of 10,” he said.

The company was also awarded OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems certification by the South African Bureau of Standards at the anniversary celebration.