BEAMA cautions against short transition period

Raj Vagdia, director of BEAMA’s Rotating Electrical Machine Group commented: "We welcome this amendment, however these changes will have implications on motor designs and manufacturing systems – a lot of motors currently out of scope will need to be tested to verify their IE class for the first time. This amendment requires a suitable transition period to allow all operators in the supply chain to be informed and for existing stock to be purged from the supply chain.”

The current scope of the Regulation excludes motors specifically designed to operate at altitudes exceeding 1000m above sea-level or where ambient air temperatures exceed 40˚C or where ambient air temperatures are less than -15˚C. The Commission plans to amend the scope of the Regulation to change the altitude level to 4000m and the ambient air temperature range to 60˚C and -30˚C. This change will bring into scope for the first time a large number of motors previously exempt.

Raj Vagdia continues: "Indications are that publication of the legislative amendment in the Official Journal will take place during October 2013 with the transition phase ending upon publication. This is less than six months away.  BEAMA, together with the European association CEMEP, have been advocating for a transitional period of at least a year after publication before the amended Regulation comes into effect.”