Italian drives-maker SIEI sets up in UK

One of Italy`s largest automation suppliers, SIEI (Societá Industriale Elettrotecnica Italiana) has formed a UK subsidiary with a head office in Kingsbridge Devon, and sites in Manchester and Rugby.

SIEI - pronounced "C-A" - is offering a range of AC and DC drives and softstarts, as well as complete automation systems. The company, formed in Italy more than 65 years ago, employs 400 people and has one of Italy`s largest automation sales networks.

The UK operation, started last year, now employs 23 people. The company is dealing directly with customers rather than following the distribution route.

Initially, SIEI is focusing on four product ranges:

• universal AC drives offering sensorless vector, field-oriented closed-loop vector, and voltage/frequency control, in the range 0.37-630kW;
• open-loop v/f drives spanning the same ratings;
• analogue or digital DC drives from 6-3,300A; and
• soft-starts up to 900A.

Product manager Neill Drennan says the universal AC drives are unusual in that they have been developed out of SIEI`s DC products and offer features, such as PID loops and winding computations, usually associated with DC drives. The universal AC drives are priced at a similar level to most supplier`s open-loop drives, he adds, while the open-loop range costs about 20-30% less than most of SIEI`s rivals.