ABB-Samotics tie-up turns VSDs into gateways to monitor drivetrains
3 November 2025 
ABB has joined forces with the Dutch condition monitoring specialist Samotics – in which it took a 10% stake in 2022 – to develop a technology that can be retrofitted to existing VSDs (variable-speed drives) to turn them into “gateways” for predictive maintenance of entire powertrains, in applications such as motors, pumps, fans, mixers and conveyors. The technology will allow users to monitor and identify changes in their drives’ behaviour – such as bearing wear or damage, coupling or gear misalignment, or pump cavitation – and to take remedial action long before costly failures and/or downtime occur.
The technology can monitor equipment operating in hot, toxic or hard-to-access environments, previously regarded as “unmonitorable”.
The service embeds Samotics-powered Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA) technology into the drives to collect performance-related data, which can be analysed to provide maintenance teams with real-time, actionable insights into the condition of their equipment.
“This leap-forward in the modernisation of legacy drives promises to be a catalyst for the digital transformation of industry,” says Oswald Deuchar, global head of ABB Motion Services’ modernisation programme. “It enables quick, seamless and cost-efficient adoption of ESA technology for enhanced uptime, and immediate access to ABB’s support and services. Should an issue be detected, our customers can rely on the full support of ABB’s global expert network, including targeted actions to keep operations running consistently and reliably.”
“Because ESA is embedded in the drive, it can monitor assets where other technologies struggle – such as submerged pumps or equipment in hot and toxic areas,” adds Simon Jagers, Samotics’ founder and co-CEO. “This is a key step toward autonomous, self-optimising operations that are at the heart of the factory of the future.”
Initially, the ESA service will focus on two ranges of ABB low-voltage VSDs – the cabinet-built ACS600 and ACS800 drives. The upgraded drives will also benefit from ABB’s TÜV-certified cybersecurity measures.
The ESA-enabled drives gather electrical data directly from the powertrain. Powered by Samotics’ analytics and supplied to industrial users by ABB’s global expert network, the data is translated into real-time insights on asset conditions.
ABB says that the ESA technology complements its own vibration-based techniques to deliver the most complete view of powertrain health, including early fault detection, quick service support and enhanced reliability, for extended uptime. From simple, low-speed assets to complex, high-speed systems, the two technologies will allow early fault detection, clearer service actions and enhanced reliability.
“By embedding ESA directly into the modernised drives, we unlock predictive insights across the entire powertrain,” says Deuchar. “This transforms drives into intelligent sensors that can detect changes in operating behaviour, enabling maintenance teams to anticipate potential faults before they can impact performance.”
The ESA capability will form part of the ABB’s Ability suite of condition monitoring and digital tools and services.
Samotics was founded in the Netherlands in 2015. It says it helps to bring “unprecedented visibility” to every critical industrial asset by analysing electrical signals using existing hardware or simple sensors, in combination with its own AI-driven platform. In 2022, ABB took a 10% stake in Samotics, and entered a long-term strategic partnership to provide enhanced condition-monitoring services
