Vacon expands up to 5MW

The Finnish drives-maker Vacon has increased the highest rating in its range of low-voltage drives from 3MW to 5MW - close to the maximum power available from any single LV (690V) motor.

"Not many suppliers can do this," says Heikki Hiltunen, Vacon`s vice-president for marketing and sales. "With the extended power range, we will secure the company`s future growth and improve its competitive edge, especially among OEM and end-customers as well as systems integrator partners."

Speaking at the recent Nuremberg show, Hiltunen said that Vacon has no plans to enter the medium-voltage drives market.

The company, which was founded in 1993, has expanded every year since 1996, at an average annual rate of around 15%. Its sales now exceed €130m and it claims to have about 3.1% of the global market and 5% of the European market.