By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : February 24, 2026 11:27 am
ABB's value-added offering of drives is designed to operate in the toughest conditions
In the high-stakes world of specialty chemicals, downtime isn’t just inconvenient — it’s expensive. For western India-based Nimbasia Stabilizers, where production runs nearly 24/7, even a single hour lost can ripple across domestic and international supply chains.
The company manufactures metallic stearates — essential functional additives used across India’s fast-growing pharmaceutical, plastics and rubber industries. But producing these chemicals comes with a gritty challenge: dust-heavy processes like drying, grinding and conveying that can choke equipment and cripple operations.
That dust was silently attacking a critical component — variable frequency drives (VFDs). Fine particles settled inside conventional systems, disrupting cooling and damaging electronics. The result: unexpected failures and costly downtime.
The fix came in the form of ACS580 packaged drive from engineering giant ABB India.
Nimbasia deployed the dust-proof, compact drives across mixers, grinding mills and blowers. Designed as plug-and-play units with integrated disconnect switches and protective fuses, the packaged drives ensure safe maintenance shutdowns and built-in electrical fault protection.
Their IP55-rated enclosure shields against dust and moisture — a crucial advantage in harsh chemical manufacturing environments.
The impact was immediate
Since installation in January 2024, the plant has reported zero drive failures. Continuous operations have translated into significant cost savings, with the investment paying for itself in under three months.
“At Nimbasia, we commit to manufacturing excellent products by continuously improving our process. ABB’s drives enabled us to run longer, operate cleaner, and deliver better, all in line with our vision for sustainable, high-quality manufacturing,” said Ravishu Mittal, Partner, Nimbasia.
Traditional IP55 drive panels are bulky and often installed away from motors, requiring longer cabling, more space and higher installation costs. ABB’s packaged drives flip that equation.
Compact and panel-less with IP55 class protection, the drives integrate all essential components into a significantly smaller footprint compared to cabinet-based systems of similar power ratings. The streamlined design reduced setup time, minimized wiring and allowed installation closer to applications — all while complying with Indian regulations.
“In industries where operating in harsh conditions is a constant and plants need to run round the clock; reliability is not optional – it is mission-critical. Our value-added offering of drives is designed to operate in the toughest conditions and undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet the industrial needs and counter practical challenges,” said AR Madhusudan, Business Line Manager, Drive Products, ABB India.
For Nimbasia, the upgrade has done more than eliminate failures. The drives now play a central role in optimizing energy use, protecting equipment and enabling precise, safe process control at every stage of production.