Phoenix-based Unique Machine & Tool Co, manufacturer of machines that make kitchen cabinet doors, entry doors, drawers and related parts -- had a serious problem: The ac drives that helped run the machines they sell were failing at an estimated rate of 8-12%. Unique’s technical support department was spending untold hours dealing with drive failures. The fact that it was not Unique’s fault meant little to customers, who blamed the machine manufacturer for its inefficiency.

“About three years ago Unique Machine and Tool realized they needed a reliable drive, which is what brought them to us,” said Jim Wilson, the sales engineer for Yaskawa Electric America. The company selected the Yaskawa V7 ac drive; specs include constant torque overload rating of 150% for 1 min and 200% for 30 sec, adjustable acceleration/deceleration of 0.01-6,000 sec, and 95% drive efficiency.

Three years after switching some of their industrial machines to the V7, the company is happy to report zero failures.

“This reliability track record combined with money saving features of the V1000 has resulted in a recent decision to convert the remaining machines still using non-Yaskawa drives to the new Yaskawa V1000,” said Wilson. “Manufacturers cannot afford costly delays because of drive failures. That’s why we designed our drives to have the best failure rate in the industry, which for us means zero failures.”