nord Archives

From Drive Systems to Solutions

Posted on 25 June, 20251 August, 2025 by David Priestman

Whether conveying goods or lifting heavy loads, every movement needs a drive system. However, different applications have different requirements. As a developer of drive solutions, NORD offers via its modular product range all components of drive technology that can be combined in various configurations.

NORD implements the appropriate selection, design and calculation of the drives. Drive systems consisting
of gear unit, motor and drive electronics thus become tailor-made solutions for specific industry applications. Hence, the company is able to fulfil a wide range of specific requirements.

A modular system offering numerous solutions

One example is the requirement for energy efficiency. NORD has electric motors that can be used worldwide and comply with all relevant international regulations. With its IE5+ synchronous motors, the developer surpasses the efficiencies of the currently highest defined energy efficiency class (IE5). They are also part of the integrated gear unit/motor concept DuoDrive that combines the IE5+ motor with a single-stage helical gear unit in one housing. DuoDrive achieves one of the highest efficiencies on the market within this power class. Users also benefit from expertise and additional services, such as the NORD ECO efficiency analysis that allows the implementation of upcoming drive tasks with optimal energy consumption.

Another current example is condition monitoring that NORD can integrate into its drive solutions. With an IIoT solution, it is possible to determine and analyse drive and status data via the integrated PLC of the frequency inverter. The data can also be made available to the central systems of the users. This provides important information for predictive maintenance, allowing machinery and equipment to be maintained proactively, while reducing downtimes and increasing overall system efficiency.

Solutions to optimise user performance

“Requirements are changing – and we are actively following this path” reports Jörg Niermann, Head of
Marketing at NORD. “We are continuously developing our drive components to provide our customers with
solutions that help them progress technically, economically and environmentally.” By combining a wide
modular product range with technical expertise and knowledge in more than 100 industries, NORD creates
drive systems that are tailored to specific needs and delivered as complete solutions from a single source.

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Drive Components get QR Codes

Posted on 17 September, 202431 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

To provide its customers worldwide with quick and easy access to service and sales, NORD Drivesystems equips its products with QR codes. The paper-free alternative saves time and resources. Furthermore, this digital service allows for direct contact and competent advice by the suitable contact person.

“Almost all NORD production plants now pair our drive components with a QR code,” says Jörg Niermann, Marketing Manager. “Only Brazil is still on its way. With this, all important information is immediately and digitally available.” By using the QR codes, NORD customers worldwide reach their direct contact persons in their respective country organisations. The consultants speak their mother tongue and all data on the particular drive solution is directly displayed on their screen. In case of contact by telephone, the serial number of the drive component must still be provided.

Saving resources by digital documentation

“By scanning the QR code with their mobile phone, customers enter the ‘Digital Services’ selection menu and, apart from direct contact to our service department, get further options,” Niermann adds. For example, with the serial number of their drive components, they can navigate to the drive-specific documentation and gain access to more life cycle services and information on latest products or firmware. The paper-free and correct drive identification and documentation saves resources. Upon customer request or for your ATEX products, we will of course continue to send the documents.”

Direct access to individual spare parts lists

The digital service furthermore provides the customer with a list of potential spare parts for their individual drive solution. They cannot only contact their responsible technical support or sales department but also gain direct access to the myNORD customer portal. The drive component´s serial number will always be pre-set and all further actions are linked to it. The parameter data is stored via the NORDCON APP with NORDAC ACCESS BT. For the future, the company plans to further expand the digital service and to inform on updates, for example for its frequency inverters.

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Two Offers for Warehouse Logistics

Posted on 31 January, 2024 by Keith McKinley

With the LogiDrive solution space, NORD offers its warehouse logistics customers two industry-optimised drive concepts. LogiDrive Advanced and LogiDrive Basic both impress with their low weight and compact installation space. In addition, they are optimised for different factors.

Chain and roller conveyors, belt and pallet conveyors, container and overhead conveyors: In warehouse logistics, they all require reliable drives with sufficient power for the corresponding application. This is guaranteed by both solutions from the drive specialist NORD. Furthermore, both feature maximum user-friendliness, easy wiring, low weight and compact installation space. What sets them apart: LogiDrive Advanced was optimised for energy efficiency and LogiDrive Basic with regards to costs.

The drive solutions in detail:
– LogiDrive Advanced
– Highly efficient IE5+ synchronous motor
– Decentralised NORDAC ON+ frequency inverter, which was specially designed for combination with the IE5+
– A gear unit from the NORD portfolio
– LogiDrive Basic
– IE3 asynchronous motor
– Decentralised NORDAC ON frequency inverter
– A gear unit from the NORD portfolio

According to the customer’s requirements: Focus on costs or energy efficiency

The LogiDrive Advanced drive solution ensures maximum energy efficiency and thus achieves high savings in CO2 emissions. It achieves its very high efficiency via large speed and load ranges, and allows for a variant reduction. This is particularly attractive for large systems with numerous drives: Fewer drive variants in a system result in streamlined logistics, warehouse and service processes and thus in reduced administrative costs.

The components of the LogiDrive Basic are perfectly matched. They meet all essential warehouse application standards and impress with a large adjustment range. This drive solution does not offer maximum efficiency but features low investment costs.

Whether LogiDrive Advanced or LogiDrive Basic: The decision is determined by the specific application requirements. Either way, the user receives a perfectly industry-optimised solution, including a frequency inverter with integrated multi-protocol Ethernet interface. Furthermore, both solutions are equipped with all international certifications and can thus be used worldwide, which is important for globally active companies.

Drive Systems at LogiMAT

Posted on 18 January, 2024 by Keith McKinley

At the LogiMAT trade show in Stuttgart the drive specialist Nord will present its reliable and energy-efficient drive systems units for the industry.

In intralogistics, parcels of different weights must be transported continuously – often over relatively long distances. Special requirements are placed on performance, reliability and energy efficiency of the drive technology used. For this purpose, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS designed suitable drive solutions – and will present them from 19 to 21st March 2024 at LogiMAT in Stuttgart.

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has developed the DuoDrive gear unit/motor combination specifically for intralogistics. A highly efficient IE5+ synchronous motor from NORD is integrated into a helical gear unit, achieving an extremely high efficiency. DuoDrive achieves a constant torque over a wide speed range and thus allows for a significant reduction of drive variants in a system. This results in minimised administrative costs and streamlined service processes.

Compact, maintenance-friendly, pluggable

In addition, the decentralised NORDAC ON frequency inverters have been optimised for the requirements of horizontal conveyor technology. With their compact design, easy maintenance and full pluggability, they are especially suited for large intralogistics systems with various drive units. In the NORDAC ON+ version, they are specially designed for the combination with the IE5+ motor.

NORD does not only support its customers with suitable and resource-saving drive components, but also with competent services. The NORD ECO service, for example, helps to find the most efficient drive solution for a specific application. Here, the energy consumption behaviour of a system is checked with the aid of a measuring device. The data evaluation reveals the fields in which the system may work inefficiently, and NORD provides recommendations for efficiency-optimised drive solutions.

Drive Systems

At LogiMAT, NORD will also present its sustainability programme. The drive specialist commits itself to act in an ecologically, economically and socially responsible manner – providing security for those customers who are also amenable to the Supply Chain Act.

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will present its drive solutions for intralogistics from 19 to 21st March 2024 at LogiMAT in Stuttgart. You will find the company at Stand 3C41 in Hall 3.

Configuring Drive Systems to Customer Requirements

Posted on 15 August, 2023 by Keith McKinley

With the modular system, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, as a full-service supplier in drive technology, offers a wide portfolio of drive components that can be individually combined. The company places particular emphasis on energy efficiency, version reduction and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS supplies its customers from more than 100 industries with optimally matched drive systems that are precisely adapted to their individual requirements. The company is one of the leading international full-service suppliers of drive systems and develops and manufactures gear units, motors and drive electronics. The portfolio includes gear units for torques from 10 Nm up to more than 282 kNm, electric motors for power ranges from 0.12 to 1,000 kW and frequency inverters up to 160 kW.

Configurable for any application

With the modular system, drive systems can be combined individually for almost any application – this guarantees solutions which are perfectly tailored to the customer’s requirements. The competent Nord consultants develop tailored concepts that can be optimised with regard to energy efficiency, version reduction and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Users can also configure their drive components online, using the product configurator.

Nord’s production is characterised by a high degree of vertical integration: All quality-determining components are produced at and manufactured in Nord’s own factories. The international production capacities and a network of local subsidiaries in 36 countries ensure a reliable and short-term worldwide supply with service support and spare parts.

Familiar with customer industries

NORD supplies efficient drive solutions for more than 100 industries and is very familiar with their specific requirements. For intralogistics and warehousing, for example, the drive specialist has just defined industry-specific optimised solutions. These solution variants are called LogiDrive and – depending on the required application – are offered in a basic and an advanced version.

The patented DuoDrive geared motor is recommend for applications in the food or beverage industry as well as in the pharmaceutical sector. An efficient IE5+ synchronous motor, which tops the highest defined efficiency class IE5, is integrated into a single-stage helical gear unit – which not only allows for a compact installation space but also ensures high system efficiency.

Support for Energy-efficient Drive Systems

Posted on 31 May, 2023 by Keith McKinley

With its ECO service, NORD helps companies to find the most energy-efficient drive solution for their application. Not only energy consumption and CO₂ emissions but also the costs for administration, maintenance and wear can be reduced by using suitable drive systems. The NORD ECO box can measure the energy consumption of individual drives in detail and allows for extensive data analysis.

“The first step is the comprehensive collection of measurement values,” Jörg Niermann, Head of Marketing at NORD, explains. “The NORD ECO box contains an energy measuring device that measures the drive’s current and voltage. It determines the effective or reactive power, i.e. the energy actually used or not used, and from this calculates the relative power factor.”

After installation of the NORD ECO box between the drive and power supply, data covering permanent loads, load peaks and irregular conditions is recorded over a period of two months. Measuring over the entire period creates a high density of data that can identify patterns and random outliers, allowing a load cycle of the entire system to be created.

Evaluation of the data

Once the survey is completed, NORD evaluates the data. The customer receives the evaluation in the form of a PDF document which presents the main key data. In the evaluation of the results, the large amount of data recorded makes it possible to determine precisely whether the dimensions of a system meet the requirements of the respective application or whether the system is oversized, for example, which is particularly important when optimising for energy efficiency.

Reduction of variants

In large systems with numerous drives – such as in intralogistics – the NORD ECO service can help not only to optimise the power used by the individual drive systems, but also to reduce the number of different systems. This helps to further streamline production, logistics, storage and service processes. The high-efficiency motors from NORD provide a constant torque over a large speed range and are particularly suitable for a reduction of variants.

Together with the data evaluation, the customer receives a recommendation for an efficient NORD drive solution. The energy balance of the NORD solution is documented as part of a further measurement and the customer can see their increase in efficiency in writing.

“The NORD ECO service has already helped various customers to improve the energy efficiency of their production and thus to reduce their carbon footprint,” says Niermann.

Saving Energy with Eco Drive Systems

Posted on 25 January, 202325 July, 2025 by David Priestman

The share of total energy consumption of all industries for electric drive systems is 70 per cent, according to expert estimates. This is not only a significant cost factor – there is also a large optimisation and savings potential hidden here. The NORD ECO service helps companies to reveal this potential and to find the most efficient drive solution for their application.

“The first step is the comprehensive collection of measurement values”, Jörg Niermann, Head of Marketing at NORD, explains. For this purpose, the so-called NORD ECO BOX, a mobile inverter cabinet, is connected between the motor and the power supply. The NORD ECO BOX consists of an energy measuring device with data logger function, current transformer and cable connections.

Over a period of about two weeks, the box records data in real time about permanent loads, load peaks and irregular conditions. Once the survey is completed, the results are uploaded to software developed by NORD that automatically evaluates the data.

Identifying over-dimensioning and optimising systems

NORD offers the ECO service for systems with both its own and third-party components. “The measurements over time make it possible to create a load cycle for the system. This shows whether a system’s dimensioning corresponds to the requirements of the respective application, Niermann explains. “We often see drive systems that are oversized for the corresponding application.” If a system is driven with the drive recommended by NORD, the company offers to carry out a remeasurement. As part of a TCO analysis (Total Cost of Ownership), the most cost- and energy-efficient solution can then be determined.

Variant reduction for more efficiency

For large systems with several drives, such as in intralogistics, the analysis with the NORD ECO service can significantly reduce the number of different drive systems. This helps to minimise administrative costs and streamlines production, logistics, storage and service processes. NORD offers high-efficiency motors with constant torque over a large speed range, which are ideally suitable for variant reduction.

With over 4,800 employees today, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has developed, produced and sold drive technology since 1965, and is one of the leading global full-service providers in the industry. In addition to standard drives, NORD delivers application-specific concepts and solutions for special requirements such as energy-saving drives or explosion-protected systems. In the 2021 financial year, annual sales amounted to 870 million Euros. NORD has 48 subsidiaries in 36 countries and further sales partners in more than 50 countries. They provide technical support, local stocks, assembly centres and customer service. NORD develops and produces a wide range of drive solutions for more than 100 industries, gear units for torques from 10 Nm up to over 282 kNm, supplies electric motors in the power range of 0.12 kW to 1,000 kW, and supplies the required power electronics with frequency inverters of up to 160 kW. Inverter solutions are available for conventional control cabinet installations as well as for decentralised, fully integrated drive units.

Drive electronics for each application case

Posted on 12 March, 2021 by Keith McKinley

For more than 30 years, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has been developing and producing electronic drive technology and is one of the pioneers in innovative inverter technology. The portfolio includes motor starters and frequency inverters of up to 22 kW in decentralised designs and up to 160 kW for the control cabinet – characterised by scalable functions, high precision regulation, easy installation and operation. Different power classes, mounting options and communication modules ensure integration into all control architectures.

Whether a control cabinet installation or a decentralised version for use in the field – with its NORDAC product family, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS offers electronic drive technology for almost every application. The frequency inverters and motor starters cover a wide power range of up to 160 kW and impress with high performance and safety. A special feature is the large range of modular products for decentralised drive electronics. Whether mounted on the motor or close to the motor: With power ratings up to 22 kW and their large range of functions, NORD decentralised drives are used in many applications worldwide – from the food industry to intralogistics through to bulk goods handling.

All NORD inverters are scalable with regard to function and configuration, and can be flexibly adjusted to any application. They are quick to install, easy to operate and compatible with all common bus systems and controls. Useful features like the PLC functionality for drive-integrated functions, an energy-saving function for partial load operation, the POSICON positioning control, integrated brake choppers for 4-quadrant operation and functional safety with STO and SS1 ensure high functional use. The inverters perform open loop or closed-loop, and are designed for operation with asynchronous and synchronous motors. The precise current vector control ensures optimal torque in a wide variety of load and speed situations. The consistency of the entire NORDAC product family ensures a comparable function range, uniform operation, and common options for all NORD frequency inverters.

NORD inverters have condition monitoring solutions for predictive maintenance systems and are well equipped for use in IIoT and Industry 4.0. The integrated PLC can process data from connected sensors and actuators, initiate control sequences and communicate with other system components. The periodic or continuous recording of drive and status data allows for an early detection and avoidance of impermissible operating states. Unscheduled downtimes can be significantly reduced and status-oriented maintenance (predictive maintenance) replaces time-based maintenance. Machinery and plant downtimes can be scheduled.

The frequency inverters and motor starters are manufactured in Aurich (East Friesland), Lower Saxony. NORD has been operating its own electronics production in Aurich since 1984, producing more than 100,000 units per year in a manufacturing area of 5,000 m2 – from series production devices via individually configurable components through to one-off special build items. The drive specialist develops all solutions together with customers and perfectly matches them to the individual requirements.