In this episode of the ABB Solutions Podcast, host Mike Murphy continues the discussion with Abel Cavazos and Wayne Paschal from ABB’s High Power Division. This second installment focuses on how environmental conditions, enclosure selection, and proper monitoring can significantly impact motor life and reliability, especially in high-power and high-criticality applications. Tune in to hear insights on:

• Motor Enclosure Selection: How WP2, TFC, TX, and TWAC designs differ, when each is appropriate, and how contamination, cooling efficiency, and horsepower size influence enclosure choice.
• Environmental and Cooling Considerations: Why airborne contaminants, restricted airflow, dirty cooling tubes, and clogged filters can lead to overheating, and which enclosure types help mitigate these issues.
• Maintenance Practices: Practical steps facilities can take to maintain high-power motors, including differential pressure monitoring, tube cleaning, fin maintenance, and planning for long turnarounds.
• Monitoring for Reliability: How stator RTDs, bearing RTDs, vibration checks, and temperature delta tracking help plants shift from reactive to predictive maintenance.
• Criticality and Feature Selection: How CR1 through CR4 ratings influence the level of monitoring required, and why adding diagnostic features helps reduce unplanned downtime.
• PCIC Presentation Insights: Background on the paper titled The Cost of Specifications Reducing Motor Features Based on Process Criticality Without Sacrificing Reliability, how it ties into API 541, API 547, and IEEE 841, and why it sparked new thinking around criticality at PCIC.

References:

Transforming industry with energy-efficient motors and reliable power generators: https://new.abb.com/motors-generators

In this episode of the ABB Solutions Podcast, host Mike Murphy is joined by Randy Stevens, North American Training Manager for Automation Solutions. They discuss the value of mentorship and how it strengthens both personal and professional growth. Randy explains how mentors help accelerate development through active listening, guiding questions, and supportive accountability. He also highlights how mentorship improves onboarding, builds confidence, and reinforces leadership skills within an organization. Tune in to hear insights on:

• Benefits of Mentoring: How both the mentor and the mentee gain confidence, clarity, and accelerated growth.
• Listening First: Why great mentors prioritize active listening to understand goals, motivations, and challenges.
• Guiding Through Questions: How asking thoughtful, open-ended questions helps mentees determine their own direction.
• Supportive Accountability: Encouraging progress by holding mentees accountable in a constructive and confidence-building way.
• Strengthening Onboarding: How pairing new employees with experienced peers shortens the learning curve and reduces overwhelm.
• Building Leadership Skills: Why teaching and coaching reinforce the mentor’s own knowledge and leadership capabilities.
• Seeking the Right Guidance: How identifying and learning from experienced individuals can accelerate career development.

References

If you would like to attend a training, head over to our U.S. Drives & PAC Automations Solutions Training page.

Interested in learning more about ABB Drives? Join our Tech Tuesday webinars where our experts tackle topics from improving efficiency and reliability to solving maintenance issues.

Podcast 1: Business Strategy – strategic planning fundamentals to support long-term success: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17631204

Podcast 2: Training with ABB Project Management – defining scope, scheduling, and resources for project success: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/15697913

Podcast 3: Setting and Achieving Goals – creating clarity, ownership, and direction in personal and professional growth: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17963852

Podcast 4: Focus & Productivity – building habits and structure to stay consistent and avoid burnout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/18125609

Podcast 5: Teambuilding – strengthening alignment, roles, and collaboration for high-performing teams: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17267078

In this episode of the ABB Solutions Podcast, host Mike Murphy is joined by Abel Cavazos and Wayne Paschal from ABB’s High Power Division. The discussion focuses on understanding criticality levels in motor applications, how they impact equipment selection, and what facilities should consider to reduce procurement time and increase reliability. Tune in to hear insights on:

• Understanding Criticality: How CR1–CR4 ratings impact production risk, repair strategy, and motor specification.
• Purchasing Considerations: Why motor starting capability, torque requirements, and electrical system limitations drive design choices.
• Motor Starting Characteristics: How different applications—pumps, fans, conveyors, mills—affect rotor/stator design, starting current, and heat management.
• High-Inertia & Fully Loaded Starts: What engineering adjustments are required to ensure motors can safely start under demanding conditions.
• Bearings & Protection: The differences between anti-friction and sleeve bearings, and why lubrication, seals, and contamination control are essential for reliability.

References:

Transforming industry with energy-efficient motors and reliable power generators: https://new.abb.com/motors-generators