Anyone who deals with drive technology is aware of the changes. New standards, new components, increasingly networked systems. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you not only need to understand products, but also their application in complex systems. This is precisely where the ABB Motion University in Mannheim comes in.

Practical qualification and training

Companies in infrastructure, manufacturing, the process industry and transportation are facing similar challenges: Networking sensors, reading out data remotely, implementing new products - the requirements are increasing. ABB is responding to this dynamic with its own training program that closely combines theory and practice.

"ABB has always pursued the philosophy of providing its customers and partners as well as its employees with practical qualifications and training," says Michael Link, lecturer in electrical drive technology in Mannheim. Link himself studied electrical engineering and has been with ABB since 1991.

Apply knowledge directly

ABB Motion University is part of a global structure: five training centers worldwide, 20 more locally. Around 60 lecturers offer more than 2,000 courses a year - on site or as webinars. The material is created centrally and adapted for countries and customers. The Mannheim center is responsible for the globally used learning content on power converters.

The seminars are aimed at anyone who works with drive technology in the low-voltage range: AC and DC motors, power converters, frequency converters, programmable logic controllers (PLC). Non-motor applications are also covered, such as electrolysis for hydrogen (H₂) production, DC battery charging or electrical heating and cooling.

Practical drive technology learning

The core of the program is hands-on learning. In four-day classroom courses, participants not only learn the basics of drive technology, but also carry out practical exercises on demo units.

"The training courses are product-, application- and industry-specific," emphasizes Link. "With the knowledge they acquire from us, technicians can not only make project planning and commissioning more efficient and safer, but also act in a more targeted manner in the event of faults and maintenance."

For companies, this means higher system availability, less downtime and more economical operation.

Hands-on: experience what you have learned

Demo cases, complete control cabinets, machine sets or PLC demo cases allow students to test all functions themselves. Tasks, from the installation of a frequency inverter to the suppression of critical speeds in fan applications, deepen the theoretical knowledge.

"Customers are then able to help themselves or know what information the support line or field service needs from them and what the terms are in the event of a fault," explains Link.

An example from practice: Matthias Braun, development engineer at Zollern, reports: "The combination of theory and practice conveys knowledge in an understandable way, is fun and gives you the necessary confidence. After the training, we were able to implement what we had learned directly in the project and put the ACS880 frequency inverter into operation quickly and in a structured manner."

Training formats for different needs

The ABB Motion University offers classroom seminars, customer-specific training, e-learning courses and webinars. Participants are OEMs, ABB sales partners, end users and ABB's own employees. For the latter, there are special learning and competence paths that document and secure qualifications. Service technicians and sales staff thus have all the necessary knowledge about ABB products.

Visual, auditory, motor and communicative approaches

Face-to-face training is the trend. "People want to touch the products, they want to try them out for themselves," says Link. The training centers are equipped with the latest technology: large-screen devices with a whiteboard function allow hybrid formats in which some of the participants are on site while others are connected online.

The learning methods combine visual, auditory, motor and communicative approaches. Trainers combine classic presentations with exercises using demo cases. "Train-the-trainer events ensure that lecturers remain technically and didactically up to date. Part-time trainers take on special topics and contribute particular expertise.

"People forget a lot when they lack practice"

The range of courses accompanies all ABB Motion products throughout their entire life cycle. "If special industry knowledge is required, such as for crane or wind power applications, we also offer suitable courses on the respective application requirements and the corresponding product features of ABB drive technology," says Link.

"To ensure smooth operation, it is important to keep refreshing the knowledge acquired by users. People forget a lot of things if they don't get to practice," says Link.

Max Burger, Managing Director of IWIK GmbH, adds: "For us as a long-standing ABB value provider, the training courses at the ABB Motion University are an integral part of our qualification program. For career changers, they form an important knowledge base, while for experienced colleagues they serve to deepen their knowledge." Courses on energy efficiency and service in particular were a real "aha" moment for the company. "The training courses not only gave us professional impetus, but also valuable ideas for our own corporate strategy - particularly in terms of how we can offer our customers concrete added value."

Around 800 to 1,000 participants take part in Mannheim every year. The courses are not only for training purposes, but also for exchanging ideas. "The customers exchange ideas with each other, learn about applications or procedures from colleagues from other companies and try to adapt these new insights for themselves," observes Link.

Training courses on hydrogen and wind power applications

"Training courses on hydrogen and wind power applications are currently gaining in importance," reports Link. Another trending topic is artificial intelligence for industrial applications. "Thanks to ABB's new open development environment, corresponding features can now be integrated into the inverters to make the control and analysis processes smarter."