Industrial facilities requiring high voltage infrastructure can include manufacturing plants, automotive production lines, logistics hubs, and high-throughput packaging facilities. | Source: Kollmorgen
In industrial facilities where 400–480V three-phase power is standard, machine builders don’t have to ask themselves if they need to use high voltage; that’s a given. Instead, they need to figure out how to design motion systems to work effectively within that environment without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Oftentimes, people assume that operating in high-voltage environments requires stepping up to a more complex, higher-specmotion system. It’s true that larger machines and higher throughput do place greater demands on certain parts of the system.
However, according to Kollmorgen, this doesn’t mean every axis within a machine needs to be designed to the same high specification. So, this means the challenge isn’t in adopting high voltage, but in making the best use of it.
Largemanufacturingplants,automotiveproduction lines,logisticshubs, and high-throughputpackagingfacilities are typically built around 400–480V infrastructure. Introducing lower-voltage systems into these environments can add unnecessary complexity, requiring additional components such as transformers and extra protection hardware.
Historically, however, working within high-voltage environments has often meant moving toward more complex motion platforms designed for maximum performance. These systems do offer impressive capabilities, but they’re not always the best fit for every part of the machine, Kollmorgen noted.
Even in large industrial environments, not every axis is doing the kind of heavy lifting that warrants top-of-the-line specifications, the company added. Many are responsible for positioning, guiding, or handling materials. These tasks are essential, but they don’t necessarily require the highest levels of power or performance.
Applying a high-end solution across the board can therefore introduce unnecessary cost, increase commissioning time, and make systems harder to integrate and maintain. This is where the real challenge lies: designing motion systems that fit naturally within high-voltage environments without over-specifying the solution, said Kollmorgen.
This question reflects a broader shift in how motion systems are evaluated, Kollmorgen asserted. Performance metrics like torque and speed still matter, but they’re no longer the only factors that define a good solution. Engineering time, ease of integration, and long-term usability are becoming just as important.
More complex systems tend to demand more from the people working with them. They take longer to configure, require more specialist knowledge, and can be harder to troubleshoot when something goes wrong. None of this is immediately obvious from a specification sheet, but it has a real impact on project timelines and overall cost.
In many cases, the time required to integrate and commission a system can outweigh the benefits of higher performance on paper. As a result, machine builders are increasingly taking a more measured approach. They’re focusing on solutions that meet the needs of the application without adding unnecessary complexity.
This is where the idea of “right-sizing” becomes important, Kollmorgen claimed. The goal isn’t to limit capability, but to apply it where it’s needed and avoid it where it’s not.