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

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 one of the most common challenges professionals face: maintaining focus in a world filled with distractions. Randy shares practical advice on creating structure and consistency to help you stay clear-minded, avoid burnout, and achieve meaningful goals. Tune in to hear insights on:

• The Value of Focus: Why intentional time to think is crucial for personal and professional growth.
• Battling Distractions: How to manage the constant interruptions of modern communication.
• Building Habits of Focus: Scheduling recurring focus blocks to create structure and discipline.
• Consistency Over Intensity: Why small, steady actions matter more than short bursts of effort.
• Avoiding Burnout: Recognizing early signs and making changes before it’s too late.
• Process Over Perfection: How focusing on daily discipline leads to long-term success.

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: Strategy – defining direction and aligning your team: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17631204

Podcast 2: Project Management – scope, scheduling and resources defined: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/15697913

Podcast 3: Team Building – communication, cohesion and collaboration: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17267078

Podcast 4: Setting and Achieving Goals – creating structure and maintaining momentum: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17963852

On this episode of the ABB Solutions Podcast, host Mike Murphy sits down with Randy Stevens, North American Training Manager for ABB Automation Solutions. Together they talk about the importance of setting clear goals in both your personal and professional life, and how those goals help you take control of your direction and success.

Tune in to hear insights on:

• The Power of Goals: Why defining your goals gives you ownership of your path in life and work.
• Breaking It Down: How to make big goals more realistic through simple backward planning and small milestones.
• Career Growth: How ABB’s mentoring programs help employees build a strong foundation for leadership and growth.
• Realistic vs. Outrageous: Finding the balance between stretch goals and expectations that are too high to reach.

Practical Advice: Randy’s tips for setting goals that fit your situation and checking in regularly to stay on track.

If you’d like to learn more about leadership, planning, and personal growth, check out these previous episodes of the ABB Solutions Podcast:

Strategy: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17631204

Team Building: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1770390/episodes/17267078

On this episode of the ABB Solutions Podcast, host Mike Murphy is joined by Brie Stanley, Director of Offer Management for Motion Services at ABB. They discuss ABB Motion OneCare, a tailored service platform designed to extend equipment life, increase uptime, and reduce costs. Brie explains how OneCare is not just a service agreement, but a personalized partnership that adapts to each customer’s needs.

Tune in to hear insights on:

• What is Motion OneCare? How ABB builds tailored partnerships to support long-term operational goals.
• Maximizing Equipment Life: Lifecycle assessments, preventive maintenance (L1 to L4), reconditioning, modernization, and advanced diagnostics such as ABB Ability™ LEAP.
• Remote Condition Monitoring: How smart sensors and real-time diagnostics spot issues before they become downtime.
  Flexible Support Models: Adapting to both proactive and reactive maintenance approaches.
• Predictable Costs and Expertise: How OneCare delivers budgeting confidence and access to ABB’s global service professionals.
• Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: Insights from ABB Energy Appraisals and ways to reduce energy waste.
• Real-World Success: A global customer boosted uptime by 13 percent through their OneCare agreement.
• Getting Started: The process of building a OneCare agreement and the role of ABB’s Project Management Office in ensuring success.

References

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

Learn more about ABB Motion OneCare: https://new.abb.com/service/motion/abb-motion-onecare.

Join host Mike Murphy as he welcomes back Randy Stevens, North American Training Manager for Automation Solutions at ABB. In this episode, they discuss important work life balancing.

Tune in to learn more about:

• The “business life” mindset: Understanding the importance of separating business and family life. Are you serving your purpose?
• Managing time during pressing deadlines: If it’s important, schedule it
• Motivation for mid-career level employees: Set 5-year goals and work backwards. View goals as life segments vs becoming overwhelmed looking at the big picture.

References

https://new.abb.com/service/abb-university/united-states/drives/us-training

https://new.abb.com/us/us-motion-business-area/drives-products/tech-tuesday

Join host Mike Murphy as he welcomes back Randy Stevens, North American Training Manager for Automation Solutions at ABB. In this episode, they dive into the importance of strategic planning for both individuals and businesses, offering insights and practical strategies to set and achieve meaningful goals. As the holiday season and new year approach, it’s the perfect time to reflect, recharge, and plan for success.

Tune in to learn more about:

• The Planning Mindset: How visualizing your "future picture" and working backward can create a clear roadmap for success.
• Contingency Planning: The importance of preparing for unexpected challenges without falling into analysis paralysis.
• Overcoming Fear in Planning: Why most fears are "false evidence appearing real" and how contingency plans can alleviate anxiety.
• Small Wins, Big Motivation: The value of celebrating milestones to stay motivated throughout the year.
• Balancing Resources and Goals: How to align scope, scheduling, and resources for achievable, effective strategies.

Check out previous episodes of the ABB Solutions Podcast here.