SmartD News

from high vibration to high reliability with Clean Power VFD

Reduction in vibration
acceleration

Reduction in spike energy

Motor and bearing failures
since the Clean Power VFD
was installed

Objective

Energir CCU had recurring bearing failures with the
current VFDs and wanted to eliminate the bearing and motor failures and reduce overall system stress. The objective was to find a solution that could address the root cause of the failures without relying on additional mitigation solutions or oversized motors.

Challenges

Annual motor bearing failures, even with inductive filtering
The competitor’s drive couldn’t solve vibration issues
Harsh operating conditions
Maintenance downtime due to mechanical motor fatigue

Benefits

Increased reliability:
- No motor and bearing failures since installation
- 94.8% reduction in vibration acceleration (4.128G to 0.213G)
- 87.2% reduction in spike energy (0.494G’SE to 0.063G’SE)
Simple retrofit: quick VFD replacement
Cost reduction: eliminate external bulk filters
Improved reliability with pure sine wave outputs and smooth start/stop functions.

Scan the QR code to learn more how
SmartD Technologies revolutionize motor control

Ending motor failure

from high vibration to high reliability with Clean Power VFD

Feedback

94% vibration reduction and NO BEARING FAILURES after switching to SmartD” – July 2025

About SmartD

SmartD Technologies’ Clean Power VFD controls motor speed and reduces stress by delivering clean sine-wave signals instead of traditional “on-off” pulses. This technology integrates filtering directly into the drive using Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, eliminating the need for external components. The result is a simpler installation that enhances durability and extends the life of the motor and its bearings.

Solutions

**Retrofit with the Clean Power VFD**

A Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) controls motor speed by converting smooth, continuous electricity into rapid “on–off” pulses through a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).

While effective for speed control, PWM outputs can introduce extra vibration, acceleration forces that shake the motor, leading to high-speed micro-movements that wear bearings faster. In addition, the sharp electrical pulses can cause electrical stress, pitting, or other damage to bearing surfaces.

To address this, the Clean Power VFD was installed in the exact same setup as the previous VFD, using the same motor, operating conditions, and environment.

Installation was straightforward: the electrician simply
disconnected the motor cable, removed the external filters, and reconnected the existing cable directly to the Clean Power VFD.

Energir engaged a specialized vibration analysis firm to repeat the same tests performed on the previous VFD.

The results showed that the Clean Power VFD significantly reduces vibration and electrical stress, protecting both the motor and its bearings by delivering three clean sine-wave signals instead of traditional PWM pulses.

Leveraging advanced Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET
technology, the Clean Power VFD integrates filtering directly into the drive, eliminating the need for external components. This design enhances system durability, reliability, and longterm performance while simplifying installation.

Scan the QR code to learn more how
SmartD Technologies revolutionize motor control

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