ABB IE5 SynRM Motors: Specifications, Applications and Drive Pairing

ABB has expanded its synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) product line to cover the power range 0.75 kW to 375 kW at IE5 efficiency — the Ultra Premium class defined in IEC 60034-30-1. Available as motor-only units or as integrated motor-drive packages with the ACS880 variable frequency drive, the line addresses the growing EU demand driven by the Ecodesign Regulation 2019/1781 amendment requiring IE5 in the 75–200 kW bracket from January 2027.

Technology: How SynRM Achieves IE5

A synchronous reluctance motor rotor consists of laminated steel with precisely machined flux barrier cutouts that create anisotropic reluctance — the rotor aligns itself to the rotating magnetic field of the stator without any copper windings or permanent magnets. This eliminates rotor copper losses entirely, which in a conventional induction motor account for 15–25% of total electrical losses.

The result: at a 110 kW, 4-pole rating, ABB's IE5 SynRM achieves 96.0% efficiency at full load. The equivalent IE3 induction motor from ABB's M3BP series achieves 93.6%. The difference — 2.4 percentage points — translates to approximately 2,640 kWh per year saved per motor at 6,000 operating hours, or roughly €396 at €0.15/kWh. Across a pump station with 12 such motors, the annual saving is approximately €4,750.

Power Range and Frame Sizes

The full catalogue covers:

• 0.75–22 kW: IEC frames 90–180, 4-pole standard. Suitable for smaller pump and fan drives where IE4/IE5 is specified voluntarily or for lifecycle cost optimisation.
• 22–160 kW: IEC frames 180–280, 2- and 4-pole. Core range for the EU 2027 mandate bracket. Available in B3, B5 and B35 mounting configurations per IEC 60034-7.
• 160–375 kW: IEC frames 315–355. Large process drives for cement mills, water treatment, and heavy HVAC. These require ABB ACS880 or ACS580 drives; no direct-on-line option.

All units meet IEC 60034-1 insulation Class F (thermally upgraded for continuous duty), IP55 as standard with IP66 available on request, and carry CE marking for Regulation 2019/1781 compliance. Dimensional compatibility with ABB's existing M3BP IE3 motors is maintained across frames 90–280, enabling bolt-in upgrade without re-engineering the motor mount.

Key Applications

Cement and Mineral Processing

In cement plants, the dominant drive loads — clinker cooler fans, raw mill fans, kiln ID fans, and separator drives — operate at near-constant speed with high annual run hours (7,000–8,500 h/yr). At these utilisation rates, the IE3-to-IE5 efficiency delta compounds rapidly. A 132 kW IE5 SynRM replacing an IE3 induction motor on a clinker cooler fan at 7,500 h/yr saves approximately 3,240 kWh per year per motor.

Water and Wastewater Treatment

Pump station motors represent the largest single electricity expense in water utilities. ABB IE5 SynRM units are available in the B5 flange configuration (IEC 60034-7 IM B5) for close-coupled pump drives, eliminating shaft coupling and alignment requirements. Variable-torque loads (centrifugal pumps and fans) benefit disproportionately from SynRM's flat efficiency curve — efficiency remains above 94% from 50% to 100% of rated load.

HVAC and Building Services

Large air handling unit fans and chiller compressors in the 37–200 kW range are ideal candidates. HVAC duty involves variable-speed operation via VFD — a requirement already met for SynRM. For building management systems using BACnet or Modbus, the ACS880 drive's fieldbus interface supports direct integration without add-on adapters.

ABB Drive Integration: ACS880 and ACS580

ABB SynRM motors are optimised for ABB drives using the drive's Direct Torque Control (DTC) algorithm. The drive automatically identifies the motor's reluctance parameters during a magnetisation ID run (typically 20–30 seconds) without needing to enter separate motor data. This pairing delivers:

• Full torque from 0 Hz (useful for conveyor and hoist applications)
• Torque ripple below 2% across the full speed range
• Thermal motor model embedded in the drive, eliminating the need for external PTC thermistors on most installations

Using the SynRM motor with a non-ABB drive is technically possible but requires manual entry of d-axis and q-axis inductance values from the motor datasheet and validation that the drive's vector control algorithm supports salient-pole synchronous reluctance machines.

Efficiency Comparison: IE3 vs IE5 at Key Power Points

Efficiency values are indicative; verify against the ABB motor datasheet for the specific type code and operating point relevant to your application.

INDASTRA stocks ABB IE5 SynRM motors across the 0.75–375 kW range. Browse the full ABB product catalogue or visit the electric motors section filtered by IE5 class. For multi-unit project enquiries with delivery to EU, Turkey or MEA, contact our sourcing team.