Chinese automation giant enters European AC motors market
26 November 2024 
The Chinese automation giant Inovance has entered the European market for industrial AC motors with an IE5-efficiency motor that uses a hairpin technology adapted from the automotive sector. Inovance unveiled the motors at the recent SPS exhibition in Germany, along with several other new ranges including variable-speed drives designed to meet European eco requirements, as well as families of articulated and Scara robots.
Inovance claims that the flat winding and hairpin winding technology used in its new MV33 motors will allow their sizes to be reduced by two or three frames for the same output. The permanent magnet synchronous motors can operate in temperatures up to 60°C.
The new MD630 variable-speed drives have been designed for the European market and support EtherCat, Profinet and EtherNet/IP. They comply with European directives and offer safety to SIL 3, as well as built-in filters and programmable logic.
Inovance’s new articulated and Scara robots for Europe will initially available for loads of up to 20kg, with larger models planned for release during 2025. The company claims to be largest supplier of Scara robots in China, with 20.8% of the market. It is also China’s fourth-largest supplier of articulated robots with a 6.5% share of the market. In its home market, Inovance sells robots that can handle payloads of up to 300kg.
In 2023, Inovance achieved revenues totalling almost $4.3bn, with 47% of this coming from its industrial automation activities (33% came from the EV and rail sector, 17% from elevators, and 3% from robotics). The company employs 23.685 people and claims to be the Chinese market-leader in servo systems (with 28.2% of the market) and medium-voltage AC drives (with 15.9% of the market). It is also China’s second-largest supplier of low-voltage AC drives (with 17% of the market) and small PLCs (with 15.3% of the market).
Globally, Inovance says it is the front-runner in the elevator controls market. It is also making inroads into global servodrives sales, claiming to be the fourth-largest supplier in 2023. In 2022, it says was in seventh position in global sales of LV AC drives.
As well as the new products at SPS, Inovance also announced a new design philosophy that will eventually cover its entire product range, making its products easy to identify.
Inovance’s European strategic marketing manager, David Bedford Guaus, says that the company’s “vast experience of selling industrial robots in China has given us industry expertise that is second to none. In China, our robots are on the production lines of some of the West’s biggest brands, and there is every chance you own a mobile phone that was assembled by an Inovance robot.”
