As the digital economy accelerates globally, industrial enterprises are experiencing a fundamental shift in equipment management. Aging low-voltage distribution systems, declining operational efficiency, and a lack of transparent energy and equipment health data are becoming common challenges. To address these industry-wide pain points, ABB has officially introduced a comprehensive Low-Voltage Digital Upgrade Service, integrating solutions for trip unit upgrades, temperature monitoring, intelligent feeder management, and smart motor management. Together with the PowerCare Worry-Free Operations Platform, ABB enables enterprises to transition to a more intelligent, safer, and efficient maintenance model.

Aging Infrastructure Increases Risks, Making Intelligent Operations a Necessity

In many factories, low-voltage distribution equipment has been in service for more than a decade. Over time, components naturally age, protection accuracy declines, insulation degrades, and connection points develop overheating issues. These hidden risks significantly increase the likelihood of equipment failure or even production shutdowns.

Furthermore, many enterprises still rely on traditional analog meters and manual inspections. Without real-time operational data or clear visibility into energy consumption, maintenance personnel often struggle to detect abnormalities early. This not only increases operation costs but also limits the ability to execute effective digital transformation.

To meet modern industrial requirements, enterprises require a new operational model—one driven by real-time data, digital visibility, and predictive maintenance. ABB’s low-voltage digital upgrade service is designed precisely for this purpose.

Four Core Service Solutions Supporting Full-Spectrum Digital Modernization

ABB’s upgrade service addresses the key challenges of aging electrical systems by enabling enterprises to modernize their infrastructure with minimal disruption. The solution includes four major upgrades: electronic trip units, critical point temperature monitoring, smart feeder management, and smart motor management.

1. Trip Unit Upgrade: Enhanced Protection and Intelligence

ABB provides on-site replacements of old mechanical trip units with new electronic trip units—equipping legacy circuit breakers with modern “intelligent brains.”

Users gain:

• Real-time monitoring of all electrical parameters

• Comprehensive digital protection

• Precise control and faster fault response

• Significant improvement in system stability without large-scale retrofits

This upgrade effectively revitalizes old systems and dramatically improves operational reliability.

2. Critical-Point Temperature Monitoring: Strengthening Safety Through Real-Time Insights

By installing temperature sensors at crucial nodes, enterprises can track real-time temperature changes and receive early warnings for abnormal hot spots.

This helps prevent:

• Insulation degradation

• Thermal stress damage

• Fire hazards

• Unexpected shutdowns

Continuous monitoring ensures stable, long-term operation of the entire low-voltage distribution system.

3. Intelligent Feeder Management: Precision Energy Measurement and Full Data Visibility

The intelligent feeder unit is designed with identical dimensions to existing drawer units, enabling quick, hassle-free replacement on-site.

After upgrading, enterprises benefit from:

• 0.5-level accuracy in active energy metering

• Full visualization of harmonics, voltage/current imbalance, and leakage data

• Deep insights into energy consumption without manual inspections

The enhanced transparency enables more effective energy-saving strategies.

4. Smart Motor Management: Ensuring Stable Operations With Intelligent Protection

ABB’s smart motor management unit integrates monitoring, protection, control, and maintenance functions into a single intelligent module.

Key features include:

• 14 built-in starting modes to handle complex applications

• 12 independent protection functions (including overload, locked rotor, phase loss, unbalance, etc.)

• Millisecond-level tripping response

This boosts overall production efficiency and significantly reduces motor-related failures.