TeSys – 100 years of motor control innovation into the digitalised future

A century from the emergence of the first motor control, motor management and protection have evolved to meet the demands of a digitalised Electricity 4.0, writes Matteo Crespi, SVP Europe Hub, Power Products Business, Schneider Electric.

From the introduction of early domestic appliances to an essential component of modern energy systems, motor control technology has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past century, shaping both industrial processes and daily life.

100 years ago, the Industrial Revolution was transforming industries with the widespread adoption of electric motors to power machinery, manufacturing processes and new household devices. Appliances such as radios, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and refrigerators that started appearing in the market were all powered by simple motor controls. Beyond our homes, motor technology also played a key role in scaling industrial operations to meet the increasing demand for consumer products.

Today, motor control technology is vital for powering anything from home appliances to industrial systems. Motors have become much smarter, allowing for more accurate control and efficiency. With advances in IoT and AI, these systems can now help with decentralised energy management, optimise grid performance, and promote sustainable energy solutions across different industries.

Innovation, no less important in 1924 than today, was a key driver of these developments, with one visionary engineer Michel le Goullec creating TeSys, then known as Manufacture d’Appareillage Electrique, which was later renamed Télémécanique électrique in 1928.

Among the first products for motor control were electrical contactors and in that same year, the world’s first bar contactor was produced, designed for high power, low voltage and heavy-duty applications.

These were soon followed by the first enclosed motor starter, the first modular contactor and the first modular three-in-one motor starter. With the company’s growing international reach and partnerships, these products became increasingly sought after and set a benchmark in terms of quality and performance.

Fast forward, a notable example of technological advancement in the early 2000s was the development of the QuickFit technology which enabled connections without tools or cables. With this technology, Schneider Electric was able to provide more efficient and reliable motor management solutions to customers, helping them optimise their operations and reduce maintenance costs.

With the first industrial revolutions characterised by coal, gas and nuclear, to the fourth, known as Electricity 4.0 (shaping a future that’s more digital and electric), the company continues to innovate and evolve motor control technologies that fit into a more sustainable, digital and decarbonised world.

To meet modern challenges such as sustainability and efficiency, a new era of motor control performance and capability is required. As it has since its founding, TeSys is ready and leading the industry.

We’re at the dawn of Electricity 4.0 – the combination of digital and electric. Schneider Electric is leading this charge by providing end-to-end solutions that empower customers to make smarter and more sustainable decisions. TeSys represents our commitment to innovation and meeting the changing needs of our customers.

Motor management challenges

What is your greatest motor management challenge?

For many users of typical industry motors today, electricity costs are the most significant,  often accounting for more than 90% of the total lifetime costs of ownership (LCOE).

Coupled with volatile energy prices, mounting pressure to reduce carbon emissions and escalating sustainability reporting standards, managing electric motor efficiency across the lifecycle is critical to minimising those costs.

For example, in the design phase, the right options must be chosen to comply with changing standards and to overcome difficulties in installing and integrating them with existing assets.

For the operations phase, digitalisation is necessary to optimise efficiency and enable responses to electricity price and demand signals. Together, these can deliver both the anticipated energy savings as well as serve as an additional source of revenue.

For maintenance, digital solutions also enable reactive practices to be changed to predictive and preventive approaches, which can reduce the downtime and risk of potential failure and increase productivity.

As an example, eco-designed pump motor control systems based on efficiency targets and performance standards have significantly reduced energy costs of 40% of the LCOE.

The TeSys advantage

A long-standing approach of the TeSys range is to look to its customers for inputs to improve and advance its solutions to meet market needs.

TeSys also stays ahead of new high efficiency components such as contactors and variable frequency drives that can be incorporated to help boost the overall electrical system efficiency.

Operator and device safety components such as motor start and stop controls, safety controllers and safety interlock switches also are common features of motor control solution to enhance the protection and safety of operators.

Commonly in the past owners and operators of motors would look for a single device but today more often an end-to-end solution is sought that can deliver the full range of benefits, from energy efficiency and carbon reduction to the lowest lifetime costs of ownership.

Coupled with TeSys solutions, parent company Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure architecture provides a full system solution that can be tailored to individual needs.

As an example, with the TeSys Island solution, South Australian electrical automation firm Tristar Electrical has been able to deliver operational information to customers.

Giulio Binetti, MD at Tristar Electrical, says features include real-time data to give the customer a view of the equipment as it is running.

“The benefits are the prediction of long-term assets, being able to identify how long it’s been in operation, how many faults it’s had and to predict some of the things that cause them downtime during normal operations.”

Benefits of optimised motor management

Optimised motor management has been found to deliver on average up to 20% savings in investment thanks to the selection of suitable voltage levels and up to 30% reduction in energy consumption thanks to proper engineering, along with the improved productivity and energy efficiency that the use of digital services and analytics can provide.

In practice, the savings can be much greater.

For example, Germany-based ABUS Crane Systems has achieved energy savings up to 40% with accelerated production and reduced downtime.

ABUS, which builds more than 5,000 cranes a year and supplies more than 35,000 customers nationally as well as exporting to 55 countries around the globe, introduced a solution including TeSys motor-protective circuit breakers and contactors and an intelligent modular crane control system based on EcoStruxure Machine.

“Digitalisation and connectivity offer us completely new possibilities for implementing crane systems in the shortest possible production time,” says Peter Backes, Construction Manager at ABUS.

“Our intelligent modular crane control enables the standard realisation of all required crane functions with only two standard modules.”

Barberan, a Spanish designer and builder of industrial surface finishing machinery, has recorded a 60% reduction in engineering costs and time optimisation with the implementation of the EcoStruxure machine solution.

Other benefits include a fully automated production of panels that are difficult to handle due to their size and optimised build time so that machines can be delivered on schedule.

Digitised machines also give users access to machine data with which their operational profitability can be improved.

Future of motor management

New TeSys motor control solutions leverage digitalisation and electrification to enable load management, source management and preventive maintenance while lowering the total cost of ownership for customers and end users.

Goals for full motor management system include industry-leading protection with built-in arc flash safeguards, complete cybersecurity and best-in-class reliability with proven functionality built on the 100 years of experience in motor control, monitoring and protection. 

With ease of installation, use and maintenance with simple integration and engineering, the total cost of ownership can be reduced and advanced connectivity with digital tools makes everyday operation simpler.

Ongoing digitalisation with technologies such as AI, cloud, edge, the IoT and digital twins will continue to transform industry and energy management.

TeSys’s vision for the future is to leverage these technologies to provide a holistic lifecycle solution that advances asset management and energy efficiency, from the design and build phase through operation and maintenance.

With this, it will provide a robust foundation for the next generation of energy systems, ensuring efficiency and reliability.