New Fundamentals: Drivetrain Design Now Combines Real and Digital Worlds

Component manufacturer portfolios have always been driven by a multitude of objectives, from productivity, cost reduction and sustainability through energy consumption and maintainability. But deciding on key performance indicators and developing a formula for the best output across a system can be hit and miss unless one captures data at the component level.

The integration of digital technologies into mechanical components, spanning from design and prototyping through the manufacturing process and maintenance, today means adjustments can be made as soon as they’re needed.

Rafael Larcher, Digital Drive Train portfolio manager, Siemens Industry, Inc., is based in Alpharetta, Ga.

Machine Design recruited Rafael Larcher, Digital Drive Train portfolio manager, Siemens Industry, Inc., to discuss how digital transformation translates to the future of drivetrain technology. He draws attention to use cases based on technologies developed by his employer.

Machine Design: Siemens has a storied history in the development of drive technology. How far have we evolved from traditional/legacy drive technology?

Rafael Larcher: As we move forward, the integration of digital technologies, AI-powered algorithms and IoT Integration will empower businesses to achieve new levels of efficiency, sustainability and innovation. Siemens’ drive technology has embraced a new era of intelligent and efficient systems, with key advancements in four major differentiator pillars:

Digitalization

Digital twins. Creating virtual replicas of physical systems allows for optimized performance, streamlined design processes and predictive maintenance.
Artificial intelligence. AI-powered algorithms enable real-time optimization, fault diagnosis and autonomous decision-making, leading to increased productivity and reduced downtime.
IoT integration. Connecting devices and systems to facilitate remote monitoring, control and data-driven insights.

Safety & Security

Robust cybersecurity. Safeguarding critical infrastructure from cyberthreats through advanced security measures and secure communication protocols.
Functional safety. Ensuring the safe operation of machinery and systems through built-in redundant components and fail-safe mechanisms.

Usability

User-friendly interfaces. Intuitive software and hardware interfaces enhance user experience and maintenance tasks while reducing training time.

Modular design. Flexible, scalable and customizable solutions to meet specific application requirements.

Sustainability

Decarbonization. Commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its drive technology manufacturing process by using 100% renewable energy and focusing on net-zero operations.
Resource and energy efficiency. Digital twin models, condition monitoring systems and energy-efficient drive solutions enable efficient operations and reduced energy consumption.
Circularity. Prioritization of the circular economy by designing products for recyclability and minimizing waste. Providing detailed information on the recyclability of products and Environmental Product declarations (EPDs).

MD: What exactly is a “digital” drivetrain? How does it support efficiency, reliability and sustainability? (Prove it.)

RL: The industrial sector is a significant energy consumer, accounting for over one-third of global electricity usage. A substantial portion of this energy, around 70%, is consumed by billions of electrical drivetrains installed worldwide. However, the IEA report highlights a concerning reality: Up to 50% of energy in industrial operations is wasted due to factors like incorrect sizing, inefficient operation and unexpected failures. This inefficiency not only leads to increased energy costs but also contributes to unnecessary carbon emissions and environmental impact.

To address these challenges and drive sustainable industrial operations, the innovative Siemens Digital Drivetrain—from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio—is a comprehensive and integrated offering along the drivetrain value chain comprised of two areas: Drivetrain Design (dimensioning and simulation) and Drivetrain Health (connectivity and optimization).

Drivetrain Design includes engineering and simulation tools for the efficient dimensioning, validation, testing, virtual commissioning and optimization of drivetrains in the design phase of a machine or system.
Drivetrain Health offers hardware- and software-based sensor and connectivity solutions for data acquisition, as well as coordinated analysis software tools. These tools provide insights into the behavior of the drivetrain and enable powerful condition monitoring. Siemens is thus demonstrating how customers can combine the real and digital worlds of drive technology to achieve efficiency and sustainability along the entire drivetrain value chain.

MD: How is AI shaping the future of drive technology?

RL: AI is empowering industries to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, reliability and sustainability. In such environments, motors, drives, controllers and sensors supply data in a large amount (Big Data)—which are processed either locally (e.g., via edge computing) or in a cloud. The volume and the quality of the collected data and our managed services make sure that artificial intelligence (AI) models are adapted to individual requirements.

Historical data is then used to train AI models, which continuously learn about asset specific behavior and how to infer monitoring thresholds and/or actions for optimum performance. Continuous improvement and transparency will take enterprises to the next level of productivity, efficiency and operation/maintenance transparency.

Siemens drivetrain domain know-how prevents motors from failing by using data-driven analytics and anomaly detection with the help of pre-trained algorithms and digital twins.

Let’s take a look at our Drivetrain Analyzer app. The app uses advanced AI models to give insights into the equipment. It continuously monitors the entire drivetrain health, tracks bearing conditions, detects imbalance and checks for misalignment. All of this is shown in a simple traffic light system so that you easily know when there’s an issue before they cause trouble.

Ever wondered if your pumps are operating efficiently? Our system can detect clogging, monitor power loss and evaluate pump efficiency. All visualized in customizable charts. Our platform also identifies resonate points that could damage your machinery. And if your motor is driven by a frequency converter, we can detect all operating points that your motor is operating in and get recommendations for improvement.

Now let’s talk about vibration monitoring. Depending on your needs, you can choose from several options and, if you’re not sure which one to pick, simply activate intelligent vibration monitoring with a single click and the AI will take care of the rest, checking for any problems related to your motor. All alarms are logged, and you’ll receive email notifications to keep your maintenance team informed.

Drivetrain Analyzer Cloud also helps you save energy. You can monitor energy consumption, CO2 emissions and even the costs. If an inefficient motor is detected, the system will automatically recommend a more efficient alternative.

This is just a glimpse of what drivetrain analyzer Cloud can do for operations. Imagine the time, money and headaches you’ll save with this level of insight.

MD: A Siemens video discusses four pillars of sustainability in drive technology. Explain the concept and help our audiences understand how next-generation design will encourage more sustainable drive solution design and how this process supports circularity.

RL: This topic continues to become a larger and larger part of the conversation. Customers are asking about it when making purchasing decisions. The four backbones of sustainability in Siemens drive technology are Decarbonization, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Circularity.

As the first backbone of sustainability in drive technology, decarbonization is very much related to the manufacturing phase of our products. With the newest ranges of products being manufactured in production facilities using 100% renewable electricity, the production of our drives are continuously upgraded towards net zero operations. Siemens has started publishing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and marking products with an EcoTech designation.

Moving on to the use phase of our products, the second backbone comes into play. Resource Efficiency and digitalization [are] the main levers here. This is about using digital twin models of systems to design a right-sized system, simulating operating conditions, and then employing condition monitoring systems to further optimize and maintain machinery.

Energy Efficiency is the third backbone of sustainability in Siemens drive technology portfolio. Since electric motors consume about two-thirds of the electricity used in industry, these systems are a great place to focus to ensure optimization. And Siemens offers technology that enables energy efficiency of the entire drivetrain. Using variable frequency drives in applications that don’t need to run at 100% speed continuously can have a large impact.

In addition, our SINAMICS drives have unique energy efficient functions, such as Sleep mode, Hibernation mode and optimized control functionality to conserve energy. And often implementing an overall system control and management strategy can bring additional energy savings.

When the drive systems approach their end-of-life, circularity, the fourth backbone of sustainability, comes into play. The end-of-life stage considers the recyclability rates of metal, plastics content and using minimum disposal practices. The EPD documents referenced earlier provide details on how our latest product reach and overall product recyclability of up to 66%. Most of this is from the high metal content that is recycled and energy recoverability from plastic materials.

This circular approach is a growing topic in manufacturing, and we will continue to see and hear more about how this contributes to the overall industry sustainability.

Siemens Digital Drivetrain is part of from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. The integrated solution comprises two areas: Drivetrain Design (dimensioning and simulation) and Drivetrain Health (connectivity and optimization).

MD: Can you refer to a use case that demonstrates the use of this technology?

RL: We may look at our Scottish Water use case for smart condition monitoring and predictive maintenance in the water industry. Scottish Water provides water and wastewater services throughout the whole of Scotland. Every day they deliver 1.52 billion liters of drinking water and treat 1.10 billion liters of wastewater. Over 2.6 million Scottish households rely on their services.

Returning wastewater to the environment is a complicated process that protects the natural environment and controls the potential spread of waterborne diseases. The final stage of the wastewater treatment process is highly energy intensive, making up 53% of total energy consumed by Scottish Water and accounting for 71% of their carbon footprint.

Wastewater treatment is a key focus of Scottish Water’s efforts to deliver cost and efficiency savings through an ambitious transformation program, with the aim of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Digital transformation is essential to achieving this goal, which is to capture new and existing operational data from across the infrastructure using sensors, and to send this data to the cloud. This allows a shift to be made from scheduled maintenance to preventive maintenance.

Together with Siemens, Scottish Water recently embarked on an infrastructure digital transformation to deploy smart condition monitoring systems to their wastewater treatment plant. However, they had some major challenges in meeting their ambitious goals:

Integration with existing solutions. To minimize costs associated with new sensors, wherever possible, the condition monitoring solution needed to leverage existing data sources in existing systems. Being open to OT standards and cloud connectivity was therefore crucial for the success of the digital transformation.
Scalable solution for a diverse infrastructure. Scottish Water has wastewater treatment plants all over Scotland, some serving large cities and others small towns. A template needed to be developed that Scottish Water could scale across their infrastructure without requiring external support.
Maximizing investment impact. Not all assets are equal when it comes to risk and costs. For the business case to be successful, the solution needed to be strategically focused on areas where it could generate the most substantial impact.
Engaging users to drive change. In a survey conducted by Scottish Water, only a small percentage of employees were enthusiastic about the digital transformation efforts. An easy-to-use solution was needed to maximize impact and ensure high levels of adoption among operational staff.

Using the cloud-based analytics app Drivetrain Analyzer, combined with the modular approach of the SIMOTICS CONNECT 400 for assets with low to medium criticality and the SIPLUS CMS1200 for highly critical assets, Scottish Water has been able to realize their goals for the digital transformation of their wastewater treatment plants, directly impacting thousands of Scottish lives and the environment.

Installed on more than 300 assets in 17 sites, the digital solution now gives months of early warning on critical equipment failure, reducing operational expenditure and risk, increasing overall equipment effectiveness and keeping a high level of availability. Scottish Water managed to reduce the cost of responsive asset failures by 10%, extended their assets’ lifetime by 15% and enabled them to take actions to reduce their carbon emissions.

Siemens has also provided the Scottish Water team with blueprints giving them the opportunity to scale the solution to the other 1,800 sites distributed across Scotland. The blueprints for each application type not only include the information on how the hardware is connected and which software should be used, but also provide clear recommendations for actions on how to respond to problems detected on site and the criticality of the various faults.