Innomotics doesn’t just deliver robust drive technology to its customers in the African heavy industry. It combines this with a comprehensive maintenance approach that goes beyond traditional aftermarket support, increasing machinery availability and improving operational efficiency.
By Jimmy Swira
It is two years since Innomotics was established as an independent entity to run Siemens‘ drive business solutions globally. In Africa, the company, then newly formed, marked its arrival at the 2024 Electra Mining Africa in South Africa.
What has transpired since?
The company is now more agile, well positioned to deliver not only dependable drive systems, but also ensuring that they are robust enough to excel in harsh conditions.
Commitment to Asset Reliability
Country CEO at Innomotics South Africa, Tim Walwyn, assures the company’s commitment to asset reliability, which is a critical component of its aftermarket service offering. “We recognise the significance of our electrical drive systems to power the world’s most demanding industries, from high altitude mining to offshore drilling and everything in between.”
Walwyn explains that the company does its utmost in ensuring the delivery of the best possible product quality. However, he acknowledges the reality that drives are exposed to conditions that lead to component wear and result in failure, impacting their availability.
The Four-pillar Approach
That’s why, devotedly, Innomotics ensures that its drive systems are paired with a comprehensive maintenance programme, founded on four key pillars: safety, reliability, innovation, and sustainability. Each pillar plays a distinct role in supporting plant uptime and long-term performance.
Walwyn explains to reliability heads what each of them entails:
“Systems that operate safely under all conditions reduce the risk of incidents and unplanned shutdowns. Our drive technologies incorporate built-in safety diagnostics and robust design features to ensure safe operation, even in demanding environments.”
“Reliability is about predictability and consistency. With over 150 years of experience in motor and drive development, our solutions are engineered to minimise failure modes and extend service intervals, helping reliability teams reduce downtime and improve planning accuracy.”
“Innovation enables smarter maintenance. Through platforms like Inspire IQ, we provide real-time insights into asset health, allowing for predictive interventions and continuous optimisation.”
“Sustainability is increasingly central to reliability. Efficient systems not only reduce energy consumption and emissions but also require less frequent maintenance. For example, our high-efficiency motors and converters contribute to significant CO₂ reductions while improving operational performance: supporting both environmental and reliability goals.”
Innomotics’ drive technology keeps conveyor systems in mining operations running reliably
Beyond Service Contract
Recognising the limitations of the traditional approach to service contracts and how they impact availability, Innomotics intentionally devised the ‘Beyond Service Concept’ to support the four-pillar approach. The traditional approach is based on reactive, task-based service models.
Alternatively, the ‘Beyond Service Contract‘ is designed to close the maintenance gap by aligning service delivery with asset performance goals. Specifically, Innomotics offers performance-based agreements that leverage digital tools and expert support. This includes predictive maintenance enabled by Inspire IQ, remote diagnostics, and instant access to factory specialists.
Furthermore, bucking the general aftermarket trend, services are not limited to Innomotics products; they scale across systems and production lines, states Walwyn. “By integrating condition monitoring, spare parts logistics, and technical support into a unified strategy, we reduce operational effort while enhancing reliability. The result is a proactive maintenance model where assets are continuously optimised and improved over time, ensuring that maintenance investment delivers measurable value.”
The contract is structured around key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the client’s uptime and reliability targets. This ensures that every aspect of the service – whether it is a maintenance intervention or a training session – contributes directly to improving asset availability. Ultimately, by integrating predictive diagnostics and remote support, Innomotics helps clients reduce unplanned downtime and extend the operational life of their motors and drives.
Range of Solutions
Accordingly, Innomotics offers a range of tailored solutions aimed at enhancing asset reliability in different organisations.
One example is the replacement of conventional turbine drives with electric motor systems. Typically, this transition, while complex, is managed through close collaboration with OEMs and process owners, and involves only a four-week operational interruption.
On the benefits, Walwyn contends: “The benefits of the replacement are substantial: lower operating costs, improved availability, reduced maintenance effort, and significantly higher energy efficiency – often twice that of traditional gas turbines. In addition, emissions reductions of up to 94% are possible, depending on the source of electricity used.”
In mining applications, Innomotics’ gearless drive technologies eliminate large mechanical gearboxes, reduce friction losses, and remove a major source of mechanical failure. Above all, fewer moving parts mean less preventive maintenance and more predictable service intervals.
Another solution critical to mining operations that Innomotics offers is variable speed drives (VSD), which replace direct online starting and liquid resistance starters. These reduce transient mechanical and electrical stress during start-up and shutdown. Eventually, they extend the life of motors, switchgears, and piping while improving energy efficiency and power quality.
More than a Service
In the main, Innomotics’ approach to heavy industry goes beyond traditional maintenance. By combining proven drive technologies with innovative service models supported by digital platforms, the company enables clients to maintain high asset availability, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and operate sustainably. In doing so, it sets a new standard for reliability and long-term operational excellence, delivering more than a service: dependable drives.
Innomotics integrates condition monitoring, spare parts logistics, and technical support into a unified strategy
Digitisation Dividends
Digitalisation is central to Innomotics’ maintenance strategy, specifically the following solutions are offered:
1. The Inspire IQ platform
Inspire IQ delivers advanced condition monitoring and analytics for drive systems. Sensors embedded in the equipment track voltage, humidity, temperature, and other parameters, enabling live remote monitoring. Service teams can detect anomalies early, carry out preventive maintenance, and respond quickly to irregularities. The platform provides full transparency into asset operations and environmental conditions, accessible anytime, anywhere.
Its success in African mining is already proven. In a recent case study, Innomotics deployed Inspire IQ in some of the harshest environments to monitor mission-critical drive trains from the Zambian Copperbelt to offshore facilities in Angola. In the event of failure, the system supports rapid diagnostics and resolution, minimising downtime. Over time, the availability of detailed operational data enables process optimisation, boosting both reliability and efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
Innomotics continues to enhance Inspire IQ with AI and machine learning capabilities to deliver deeper insights and faster decision-making.
2. AI Pyro solution
The AI Pyro solution optimises cement kiln operating points, improving both reliability and energy efficiency.
3. Asset Health Analytics
Asset Health Analytics applies machine learning to monitor critical assets such as gearless mill drives, enabling early detection of potential failures. Tools like Digimine Copilot and Digital Twin technology integrate engineering simulations with real-time data, supporting advanced operator training and lifecycle planning. These innovations help reliability teams stay ahead of maintenance challenges and keep their plants running at peak performance.
