Frontier Electric Supply, Inc.
5 Real Problems That WEG’s Motor and Motor Control Products Solve on the Plant Floor
Where WEG’s motor, drive, and soft starter lineup earns its keep in real plant and OEM applications
⏱ 5 min read • frontierelectric.com
WEG is a Brazilian-founded global manufacturer that’s been selling electric motors in the United States since 1977 and is now one of the largest motor manufacturers in the world — producing more than 21 million units annually across facilities in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and beyond. Founded in 1961, WEG is marking its 65th anniversary in 2026 — six and a half decades of motor manufacturing behind every unit on the plant floor today. Frontier Electric Supply, Inc. distributes WEG motors, drives, and soft starters across Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana, and Southwest Michigan. But instead of listing what WEG makes, this article covers something more useful: the specific problems WEG’s motor and motor control products are engineered to solve.
Problem 1: Your Energy Bill Keeps Climbing and Motors Are the Culprit
Electric motors account for roughly 70% of industrial electricity consumption in a typical manufacturing facility. Older motors — anything more than 15 years old — were built to Eff1 or Eff2 standards and lose significantly more energy to heat than a modern premium-efficiency motor.
WEG’s W22 NEMA Premium series exceeds IE3 (NEMA Premium) efficiency requirements and is engineered to reduce losses by 10–40% compared to older standard-efficiency motors. The W22’s aerodynamic cast-iron frame runs cooler than competitive frames at the same HP rating, which means lower winding temperatures, longer insulation life, and a lower electricity bill. For a facility running a 50 HP motor continuously on a pump or compressor, the energy savings from upgrading to a W22 can pay back the motor cost in under two years.
Like most IE3 premium-efficiency motors on the market, the W22 also holds its efficiency close to nameplate rating across the 75–100% load range, rather than dropping off sharply once load falls below the nameplate figure. That’s not unique to WEG — it’s a general trait of IE3 motor design — but it’s still worth checking on any motor you’re replacing, since a lot of older or lower-tier motors in the field don’t hold up as well at partial load, which is where most industrial motors actually spend their time running.
Problem 2: Motors Burning Out on VFD Applications
Running a standard motor on a variable frequency drive (VFD) without proper motor selection is one of the most common causes of premature winding failure in industrial facilities. Standard motors aren’t designed to handle the voltage spikes (dV/dt) generated by VFD switching, and their bearings aren’t protected against the electrical currents that VFD operation can induce through the shaft — regardless of which manufacturer built the drive.
WEG’s W22 Inverter Duty motors are built specifically for VFD-driven applications: Class F winding insulation with Class H impregnation resin, reinforced shaft seals, and — in sizes above 100 HP — insulated bearings with AEGIS shaft grounding rings to prevent bearing current damage. That protection isn’t tied to running a WEG drive. Motors and drives are separate, interoperable products — a W22 Inverter Duty motor is built to handle the electrical stress from any properly sized VFD, and a WEG CFW-series drive runs standard induction motors from other manufacturers just as well. The fix for the mismatch problem is specifying an Inverter Duty motor, not matching brand names.
Where WEG’s pairing does add real value: the MW500 G2 Decentralized Drive is a VFD built to mount directly to the motor itself, rather than living in the control panel. For OEMs and integrators short on panel space, moving the drive to the point of use on a conveyor section or pump skid cuts cabinet size and simplifies wiring — a genuine hardware advantage, not just a marketing pairing.
Problem 3: Motors Failing Early in Washdown or Harsh Environments
Standard TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) motors are rated IP55 — adequate for most dry industrial environments, but a liability anywhere moisture, washdown, or chemical exposure is present. A standard motor in a food processing line, a car wash equipment OEM’s machine, or a chemical pump application fails early when moisture gets past the shaft seal or enters through the conduit entry.
WEG’s W22 Washdown Duty motor is built for exactly these environments. It uses a stainless steel shaft, epoxy-coated frame, sealed bearings, and a shaft seal system rated for IP65 and above. For extreme washdown — daily high-pressure hot water cleaning — WEG’s W22 with IP66 protection handles conditions that destroy standard motors within months. For OEM machine builders shipping equipment into food and beverage or pharmaceutical facilities, specifying W22 Washdown from the start eliminates warranty claims and callbacks.
Problem 4: Conveyors and Pumps Drawing Too Much Starting Current
Direct-on-line (DOL) motor starting draws 6–8 times full-load current for the first few seconds. On a shared power system, this current spike causes voltage sags that affect other equipment on the same circuit — PLCs can reset, sensors can drop out, and other running motors can trip. It also hammers the driven equipment mechanically every time the motor starts.
WEG’s SSW900 soft starter ramps the motor voltage gradually during acceleration, limiting peak starting current to 2–4 times full-load amps and eliminating the mechanical shock. For conveyors, pumps, fans, and compressors that start multiple times per shift, WEG soft starters extend belt, coupling, and gearbox life while protecting the power system. The SSW900 also includes built-in motor protection — phase loss, phase imbalance, overcurrent, and thermistor input — reducing the panel component count.
Problem 5: Running Pumps and Fans at Full Speed When You Don’t Need To
A pump or fan running at full speed against a throttled valve is wasting energy on every cycle. Centrifugal loads follow the Affinity Laws: reducing a pump’s speed by 20% cuts its power consumption by nearly 50%. Most facilities with pumps, fans, or compressors on fixed-speed starters are significantly overpaying for energy.
WEG’s CFW series variable frequency drives solve this directly. The CFW500 and CFW700 include built-in PID control so the drive automatically adjusts motor speed to maintain a setpoint — pressure, flow, level, or temperature — without additional controllers. The CFW700 also includes built-in DC bus chokes that reduce harmonics on the line without requiring external reactors, simplifying panel design for OEM machine builders.
For very small applications — a fractional-HP pump or a small mixer — the WEG CFW100 is a DIN-rail-mount micro drive measuring just 2.17 inches wide. It takes single-phase 110V or 220V in and produces three-phase output, making it ideal for compact OEM machines that need speed control on a small motor.
Frontier Electric Supply, Inc. Distributes WEG Across the Midwest
Frontier Electric Supply, Inc. carries WEG W22 motors, CFW drives, and SSW soft starters at both our Bensenville, IL and New Carlisle, IN locations. Whether you’re replacing a failed motor, specifying a new machine, or upgrading an existing VFD application, our team can help you find the right WEG product — backed by 65 years of WEG engineering — and get it to you fast.
▶ Ask Frontier Electric Supply, Inc. about WEG motors and drives: (630) 595-8730 | (574) 988-0019 | sales@frontierelectric.com