Asset type
Low voltage motor monitoring
SAM4 monitors LV induction motors from the motor control cabinet — detecting winding faults, bearing degradation, eccentricity, misalignment, and electrical supply issues. The motor is the window into the entire drivetrain.
At a glance
- Monitoring method
- Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA)
- Sensor location
- Motor control cabinet (MCC)
- Voltage range
- Up to 1kV
- Drive type
- DOL, soft starter, VFD
- Motor types
- Induction motors (TEFC, ODP, explosion-proof)
- Faults detected
- 5 fault types
- Typical lead time
- 2–12 weeks before failure
Why monitor LV motors
"The motor tells you everything"
LV motors drive 90%+ of industrial rotating equipment. Most are unmonitored. Every motor's electrical signature contains information about the motor itself plus every mechanical component in the drivetrain.
of industrial motors are low voltage, yet most have no condition monitoring.
typical cost of an unplanned motor failure — including repair, production loss, and emergency response.
LV motors monitored by SAM4 across customer fleets worldwide.
What SAM4 detects on LV motors
Five fault types from one sensor location
| Fault type | What's happening | How SAM4 detects it | Typical lead time | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winding faults | Turn-to-turn shorts, insulation breakdown, phase imbalance | Stator current asymmetry — phase imbalance rises as winding insulation degrades | 4–12 weeks | Full |
| Bearing degradation | Inner/outer race defects, rolling element wear, lubrication breakdown | Characteristic bearing fault frequencies appear in the motor current spectrum | 4–12 weeks | Full |
| Eccentricity | Air gap irregularity from rotor sag, thermal distortion, or mechanical wear | Characteristic eccentricity frequencies appear in the motor current spectrum | 2–8 weeks | Full |
| Misalignment | Shaft or coupling misalignment between motor and driven load | 2× running speed component in current spectrum, progressive increase over time | 2–6 weeks | Full |
| Electrical faults | Supply imbalance, harmonic distortion, capacitor failure, soft starter faults | Voltage and current imbalance analysis — direct measurement at the MCC | Continuous | Full |
Detection capability depends on drive topology, sampling rate, load variation, and operating conditions. See ESA detection constraints.
Installation on LV motors
30 minutes. No motor access required.
Open the motor control cabinet
SAM4 installs at the MCC — the same panel your electricians already access. No confined space entry, no scaffolding, no process shutdown.
Clip sensor onto motor supply cables
Current and voltage sensors clip directly onto the existing cabling. No wiring changes. No interruption to the motor's operation.
Connect and commission
The SAM4 gateway connects via cellular (4G/LTE) — no dependency on your IT network. Monitoring starts immediately. First diagnostic results within 48 hours.
Energy monitoring
Not just fault detection. Energy optimisation too.
LV motors account for roughly 70% of industrial electricity consumption. SAM4 continuously tracks power consumption — identifying oversized motors, poor power factor, and efficiency degradation driven by bearing wear or mechanical faults.
Real-time power tracking
SAM4 continuously measures power draw — enabling identification of oversized motors and load pattern changes that indicate mechanical degradation.
Power factor monitoring
Tracks reactive power and power factor degradation — often the first indicator of winding issues or supply quality problems.
Efficiency analytics
Data to support motor replacement or rewinding decisions — backed by months of continuous operating data.
Where LV motors are monitored
Industries using SAM4 on LV motors
Water & Wastewater
Booster pumps, submersible motors, blower drives. Efficiency and bearing monitoring across the network.
Chemicals
Process pump motors, agitator drives, compressor motors. Monitoring in hazardous zones without physical access.
Oil & Gas
Transfer pump motors, cooler fan motors, injection pump drives. ATEX-compatible monitoring from the MCC.
Metals & Mining
Cooling motors, crusher drives, fan motors. Harsh environments where motor access is restricted.
Pulp & Paper
Pump motors, fan drives, conveyor motors. Energy-intensive operations where efficiency gains compound across hundreds of motors.
See SAM4 monitoring motors
A 30-minute demo shows SAM4 running on LV motors like yours — with real fault data, real diagnostics, and real energy insights.