Having developed its first electric drives more than 10 years ago for industrial applications, Bonfiglioli is now adapting the technology to manufacture electric drives for road construction equipment.
The manufacturer has developed a range of electric motors for mobile equipment, including pavers and rollers, which it calls the BPM series. The permanent magnet synchronous motors it deploys are the most efficient on the market, says Massimo Palomba, e-mobility sales and business development manager, mobility and wind industries for Bonfigloli. They have an efficiency of up to 98%, compared to 40 to 60% for hydraulic motors.
“Electrification is not only about getting away from fossil fuel, it is about reaching for better efficiency,” says Palomba. “Because an electric powertrain is more efficient than a hydraulic one, it consumes less resources.”
In a bid to fight off competition from lower cost suppliers from China and Japan, Bonfiglioli is looking to become a solutions supplier – rather than a component one. To that end it acquired electronics manufacturer Selcom so that it can now provide elements such as PCB boards and power converters in-house.
“By making the right combination of components, we are raising a technological barrier against our competitors,” says Palomba. “If we only supply mechanical components, they can be changed. If we are supplying a whole system, it becomes more difficult to replace things.”
