Vacon, Inc

Vacon is driven by a passion to develop, manufacture and sell the best AC drives and inverters in the world - and provide customers with efficient product lifecycle services. Our AC drives offer optimum process control and energy efficiency for electric motors. Vacon inverters play a key role when energy is produced from renewable sources. Vacon has production and R&D facilities in Europe, Asia and North America, and sales offices in 27 countries. Further, Vacon has sales representatives and service partners in nearly 90 countries. The shares of Vacon Plc (VAC1V) are quoted on the main list of the Helsinki stock exchange (NASDAQ OMX Helsinki).

History

1993 was a big year for a number of reasons.

The EEC created the European Single Market. The finishing touches were being made to the World Wide Web before it was unveiled two years later to change the world. Meanwhile, in Vaasa, a small coastal city in Western Finland, 13 engineers gathered round a table to formulate a solution that would revolutionize the AC drive market.

Vacon’s founders came together through a shared vision of the kind of AC drives that customers needed, and the kind of organization that could build and distribute them: a team dedicated to offering a wide range of AC drives, both those offering versatility and those specialized for particular applications and industries.

The world has changed a lot since 1993. However, Vacon has stuck to these ideals, to the point where it is now the leading dedicated AC drive manufacturer in the world. As the industry grows in the future, its our ongoing desire to innovate and inspire which will keep us going.

Landmark dates in the Vacon story:

1993

The new era of AC drives begins

In January 1993, ABB announced that its low-voltage AC drives operations would be transferred from Vaasa to Helsinki. Not all employees who had worked in Vaasa, however, wanted to move to Helsinki. As a result, 13 employees decided to establish a new company to produce AC drives. The company, named Vaasa Control Ltd, was founded on 9 November 1993.The name would be changed to Vacon Plc in 2000.

The founding members of the company were Veijo Karppinen, Erkki Raunio, Jari Koskinen, Seppo Pettissalo and Leena Taka with product development engineers Heikki Autio, Juha Etelämäki, Jukka Jaskari, Longinos Larikka, Paavo Merilinna, Osmo Miettinen, Timo Mäki-Lohiluoma and Jorma Vesti. In addition, the founding of the company took place in close cooperation with two representatives of Vaasa Engineering, Harri Niemelä and Mauri Holma.

The original business plan

Vaasa Control’s original business plan was to produce AC drives for the power range of 0…50 kW. At that time, this power range covered approximately 54% of the entire market. Target segments of the product were defined as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), European distributors, and Nordic end customers. The annual growth of the AC drive market was estimated to be 8%.

Everything is built on the Vacon Spirit

Since the founding of the company, the cornerstone of its corporate culture has been a special, positive atmosphere and attitude towards work, the Vacon Spirit, which originates in the strong entrepreneurship, values and vision of the 13 founding members. The company’s CEO of the time, Veijo Karppinen, has stated the following, “There was no conflict between managers and workers in the company. Everyone understood it was the customer who paid everyone’s salary.”

Unchanged strategic choices since the beginning

Vaasa Control’s principal strategic choices are still manifest in Vacon’s operations: a 100% focus on AC drives, networking and profitable growth through international operations. The notion of a strong, comprehensive sales effort by using all available channels also was one of the cornerstones of the company’s strategy from the start.

Vaasa Control transforms the AC drive market

From the beginning, Vaasa Control has had a clear vision of the increasing importance of software and tailored applications in the electrical drive market and their potential to make the difference and provide competitive edge. The company was the first AC drive manufacturer in the world to transform its AC drive business towards software business.

Vaasa Control’s values from 1993

From the start, the Vacon founders believed in leadership by values. The intentions behind the common values were to support taking responsibility and facilitate making decisions. The company’s values were as follows:1) The advancement of AC drive expertise in Vaasa; 2) Openness, integrity and taking others into account in the professional community and among stakeholders; 3) A customer-oriented willingness to serve; 4) Lean process, constant development and involving everyone in the game; 5) The ability to promptly understand and react, adaptive, searching for new solutions; 6) A focus on results and profitability; 7) Work can be fun and inspiring, it does not need to be stressful.

1994

An AC drive tailorable by software

The VACON CX was the first AC drive in the world to speak the customer’s language. Its principal feature was ease of use: the operating panel was used to select the right application for the customer’s process, and the unit was immediately ready for use. Vaasa Control was also the first manufacturer of AC drives to offer an AC drive application design and implementation tool, all in a single easy-to-use commercial product called 5-in-1.

The fourth generation of AC drives

Vaasa Control developed its own AC drive with the power range from 2.2 kW to 75 kW in world record time. Veijo Karppinen, the company’s CEO of the time, has stated the following, “I believe in enlightened autocracy in product management. Take Apple, for example. In the end it is the compromises that kill the edge.” The key notion of product development at Vaasa Control was to never copy anything that had been done before. The product platform was designed to be flexible, modular and capable of taking the latest technological trends into account. The new product – the VACON CX – was ready by the end of 1994.

Genuine concurrent product engineering

Vaasa Control was an excellent example of genuine concurrent engineering. Key areas of the company’s business operations, such as production, supplier networks, information systems, sales and marketing, were developed simultaneously and in parallel with the actual product.

One of the crucial keystones: 24/7 service

Many studies show that the most important feature in an AC drive is reliability. Price rarely ranks higher than third or fourth in priority. “Reliability cannot be sold directly. It is created through actions. This is why we built our 24/7 maintenance service and product return system. We were the absolute best in this field,” says Erkki Raunio, a founding member and Vaasa Control’s first Sales and Marketing Director.

”It’s important to understand that, during the early years of the company, all employees had to be flexible. Heroic deeds were taking place in many areas, including product development, sales, marketing and service. It wasn’t a show run by just a few men,” concludes Raunio.

Building the Vacon brand

Vaasa Control strived to distinguish itself from its competitors, positioning itself as an agile, high-tech, and high-quality company. “First we needed to become a recognised name. This is why we started building the Vacon brand as early as May 1994,” says Erkki Raunio. “Vaasa Control officially became Vacon in 2000, but VACON was what we always marketed as the brand. The first Vacon logo was designed by Maija Vallinoja. At that time we actively toured industry fairs all over the world. Veijo Karppinen was our spokesman. He knew many people in the industry personally, and many people knew him. This is how we made the company better known.”

Building a first-class distribution network

Vaasa Control entered into several distribution agreements with various companies in Finland and Europe before the first product, the VACON CX, reached production phase. This was done to ensure the widest possible distribution from the word go. Multi-channel sales and multi-brand thinking were a strategic choice. Today, Vacon sells its products to OEMs, system integrators, brand label customers, value-added resellers, distributors and end customers, ensuring the company can thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

1995

Production of the VACON CX begins

Production of VACON CX AC drives officially started on 1 February 1995 after a successful pilot phase in late 1994. During the first year, approximately 2000 AC drives were produced. “Vaasa Control was a pioneer in networking: production of the AC drives components was subcontracted, and Vaasa Control’s own production facility was a final assembly and quality assurance factory. Blue collar workers were trained by a third party. During that time it was a new and an innovative solution,” said Jari Koskinen, a founder and the company’s first Production Director. Production started quickly and deliveries were made as planned. During the first phase in the factory, the focus was on process management and on the capability of the core processes such as product reliability and quality systems. The production volume during the first quarter was 396 units, now covering the power range of 2.2…90 kW.

First major project at UPM Seikku sawmill

The Seikku sawmill in Pori, Western Finland was the first customer to commission a VACON CX unit, using a tailor-made 132-kW model to control their chipper canter. Vaasa Control’s founders Osmo Miettinen and Jorma Vesti were closely involved in the project. The drive was delivered with such haste that there was no time to even paint the front panel! The AC drive went on to control the sawing of over 1 million m³ of Finnish timber over its service life.

The first subsidiary in Germany

The company had made a decision to establish subsidiaries in the most important market areas, and Germany was considered crucial. Vaasa Control’s first subsidiary, Vaasa Control GmbH, began operations in Düsseldorf on 21 February 1995 with Vladimir Kozak and Helmut Walter taking the helm. The subsidiary moved to Essen in 2002 before another office was opened in Munich in the spring of 2013.

Vaasa Control opens offices in Sweden

Scandinavia was considered another market area of great importance. Discussions on establishing a new subsidiary in Sweden were started in May 1995. With Sven-Olof Göransson at the helm, Vacon Engineering AB, with offices in Sundbyberg just outside Stockholm, was officially registered on 27 February 1996. The company was renamed to Vacon AB on 10 December 1999, when it also became part of Vacon Group.

Through the valley of death

Near the summer of 1995 Vaasa Control’s sales figures slumped. Liquid cash was running out, and additional financing was nowhere in sight. On 20 October 1995, Vaasa Control sold the source code of its motor control application to TB Wood’s Inc. in North America at the price of $650,000. This software license deal probably saved the company from bankruptcy. Vacon would later acquire TB Wood’s, Inc.’s AC drive business in 2008, thus launching a subsidiary in the United States.

1996

Long-term contract with KCI Konecranes

KCI Konecranes, a Finnish manufacturer of cranes, entered into an agreement with Vacon on 5 January 1996 for the development of a crane application using AC drives and the associated manufacturing and sales efforts. KCI Konecranes had first registered an interest in the company during the piloting phase of the VACON CX, and would go on to buy a 12% share in the company in 1996.

Vaasa Control’s result improves

In terms of business results, the first quarter of 1996 was very negative. April 1996, however, saw a turn for the better, and by end of June the year’s operating result was already positive! After that the company went through no unprofitable months in the 1990s.

Creating new opportunities on chemical tankers

The VACON CX opened up a whole range of new possibilities in marine and offshore business for the company. In 1996, VACON CX AC drives were commissioned on a chemical tanker to control Marflex cargo pumps. These drives were possibly the first VACON AC drives used on a ship, and marked the beginning of electronically driven cargo pumps.

1997

Vaasa Control and Honeywell Europe team up

In March 1997, Vaasa Control and Honeywell Europe signed a co-operation and brand label agreement in which Honeywell committed to using VACON AC drives in building and industry automation sites across Europe, Africa and Asia. Starting collaboration with Honeywell improved Vaasa Control’s standing on the market.

Production capacity doubles

The manufacturing and testing capacity of Vaasa Control’s production unit was doubled to meet the increasing demand. The construction work of the company’s new office and production facilities was launched in summer 1997. The number of employees on 31 December 1997 was 81.

Design work of the next generation AC drive begins

The design work of a new AC drive, the VACON NX, was initiated. The first products of the new platform were manufactured in 2000.

1998

New premises and facilities

The inauguration of Vaasa Control’s new office and production facilities at Runsorintie 7 in Vaasa in 1998 was an important milestone in Vacon’s history. By 1998, production figures had increased considerably, requiring a shift from one-off products to volume production. The size of the production facilities was 4100 m² with an adjoining office wing of more than 3500 m². The company made significant investments in new semi-automated production lines and in lean production systems, focusing also on modular product structures and standardization.

World-leading production methods

Vaasa Control’s production methods represented the best in the industry. “Some of the factory’s production lines were probably the first in the world to incorporate electronically adjustable production line worktops, pull control, the ‘first-in-first-out’ (FIFO) principle, automatic data and material flows with a mechanism where testing systems automatically sent updates of each product’s manufacturing status and test results into databases,” says Jari Koskinen, Vaasa Control’s Director of Production.

Vaasa Control’s foothold on market improves

Schindler, the Switzerland-based second-biggest manufacturer of lifts in the world, selected Vaasa Control as one of its vendors. In 1998, Vaasa Control and Schindler developed a special AC drive for lift motors that maximised comfort, quiet and smooth operation. It also reduced power grid strain, putting the application in a class of its own. In addition, an important retail contract was also made in the North American market with Cutler-Hammer, part of the US-based Eaton Group.

In 1998, Vaasa Control’s share of the world’s AC drive market was estimated at 1%. Its catalogue of products covered the power range from 0.75 kW to 1500 kW (220–690 V). The company also introduced the ISO 9001 quality system in its operations.

Vacon Benelux opens

Vacon Benelux BV opened in March 1998 and, as the name suggests, was assigned responsibility for the sales of VACON AC drives in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. The subsidiary started with just five employees working hard in CEO Dirk Verschoor’s own house with meals cooked by his wife Sylvia. The CEO’s garage was used as a VACON service centre to repair VACON CX modules up to 400 kW!

Today, Vacon Benelux has a Competence Centre equipped to repair and service air and liquid cooled VACON AC drives in Gorinchem, as well as an additional training centre and a test field for testing converters with a motor load of up to 2.2 MW.

Italy calling!

March 1998 also saw the start of Vaasa Control’s operations in Italy. Vaasa Control acquired its Italian distributor Eurelec Italy SpA, renaming it first to Vaasa Control SpA, and soon after that to Vacon SpA. Headed by Andrea Perin, the new company was registered with five employees, heralding the start of a strong relationship between Vacon and Italy. Today the company’s offices are in Reggio Emilia with a manufacturing plant and office in Postal, near Merano.

Vacon Spain is launched

In November 1998, Vaasa Control bought a 60% share in its Spanish distributor, ControlSet S.A. The company was later renamed to Vacon Drives Ibérica S.A, with Enric Rius at the helm. This acquisition substantially improved Vaasa Control’s standing e.g. in the elevator and escalator industry.

1999

Vacon Drives UK starts operations

Vacon Drives UK Ltd began operations on 1 June 1999. Stephen Takhar, Barrie Keen and Paul Carter were the founding members, after Stephen Takhar had held talks through late 1998 with Veijo Karppinen and Erkki Raunio. The founding of the new company was publicised in September 1999 with an effective three-day Internet campaign that introduced the subsidiary to Vaasa Control’s clients.

Export prize awarded to Vaasa Control

In 1999, the company entered into several important collaboration agreements on the export market. Its biggest customers were KCI Konecranes, Honeywell, Schindler and Cutler-Hammer. The retail contract with the US-based Cutler-Hammer made in 1998 multiplied Vaasa Control's North American export figures. A quarter of the company's turnover now came from this market. In recognition of the company’s rapid international growth, Vaasa Control was awarded the Presidential Export Award by the president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari.

Vacon opens office in Austria

Vacon AT Antriebssysteme GmbH was established in Austria in December 1999 under the leadership of Johann Goldfuss and Andreas Sturz.

2000

Vacon introduces liquid-cooled AC drives

The idea underlying the introduction of liquid cooled AC drives was that with use of AC drives in the industry set to increase, space would become more of an issue. After all, more AC drives would lead to a decrease in the space available in equipment rooms. Meanwhile cooling the equipment rooms to accommodate the AC drives was very expensive. Liquid cooling also decreased the noise levels of equipment rooms. None of Vacon’s competitors offered such a solution at the time.

Vaasa Control becomes Vacon Plc

Vaasa Control Ltd was renamed Vacon Plc on 1 September 2000. On 19 December 2000, Vacon was floated on the Helsinki Stock Exchange with shares selling at €7. One reason for the public offering was to increase the company's credibility on the market and among Vacon’s stakeholders. It was also thought that going public would guarantee good management in the future. As of early October 2013, the share price had climbed to €57.

Premium AC drives for the 21st century

Year 2000 saw the launch of the next generation VACON NX product family, from which the VACON NXL, VACON NXS and VACON NXP were born. It was designed for high-volume production with a far more extensive range of products and features than that of the VACON CX. The VACON CX was a single product platform, whereas the VACON NX had 3 motor control levels and a detachable panel.

2001

Vacon Russia

A new Vacon office was opened in Moscow on 1 January 2001 under the leadership of Sergei Zhizhin. Over the next decade, Vacon Russia would go on to enjoy steady growth with offices opening in St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Almaty and a network of more than 30 partners. Vacon Russia also developed the concept of the Vacon Club, offering an easy way to distribute products in Russia and the former Soviet states.

Vacon France

Vacon France s.a.s began operations in St-Pierre-du-Perray on the outskirts of Paris under the leadership of Michel Marais. This was the beginning of a presence that would help make France a greener place for future generations.

Vacon Norway

A new sales company, Vacon AS, was formed in Holmestrand, near Oslo in 2001 with Per-Halvor Rønningen taking the helm.

Vacon’s First Capital Markets Day

Vacon Plc arranged its first Capital Markets Day in Vaasa on 22 November 2001. The event was attended by more than ten analysts and investors. According to a major investor at the time, the principal reasons for investing in Vacon were the company’s technical leadership, its excellent maintenance services and its flexibility with new original equipment manufacturers and brand label customers.

Factory expansion in Vaasa, Finland

Vacon’s premises in Vaasa, Finland, were extended for the first time in 2001, and continued to grow over the next ten years. 7,100 m² were added in 2006 and a further 9,000 m² in 2008.

2002

Vacon named Wärtsilä’s Supplier of the Year 2002

An important milestone was reached as the new VACON NX products earned Vacon the designation of Wärtsilä’s Supplier of the Year in recognition of the AC drives used to control and regulate radiator coolers in Wärtsilä power plants.

A new CEO for Vacon

On 1 July 2002, after almost ten years of service, Veijo Karppinen handed over the reign to Vesa Laisi. Vacon has only had two CEOs during its 20-year history.

Vacon and Rockwell Automation begin collaboration

Vacon Plc and Rockwell Automation, a leading supplier of industrial automation solutions and power drives, signed a letter of intent for collaboration in the development of high-power, high-performance AC drives.

Vacon helps create the first complete AC winch control system

VACON NXP Liquid Cooled AC drives were selected for use in the world’s first fishing trawler – the Atlantic Enterprise (owned by Ocean Prawns A/S) – to operate an AC winch control system used for catching prawns in Canadian seas.

2003

Vacon sets up Chinese subsidiary

Vacon had had a representative office in Beijing since 2000, with a sales and distribution network that would continue to grow over the next few years. However, in 2003, a plan was made to set up Vacon China in Suzhou, a city of 10 million near Shanghai.

Vacon leads the way again with liquid-cooled AC drives

VACON NXP Liquid Cooled AC drives were formally introduced at the Nor-Shipping Trade Fair in Norway in 2003. It was the first AC drive to offer a liquid cooling function which allows for effective heat management in confined spaces while simultaneously retaining Vacon’s key characteristics of user-friendliness and high quality. In 2013, VACON NXP Liquid Cooled drives remain one of the company’s most popular products and are now capable of delivering power up to 5.3 MW.

2004

Vacon’s innovative step-down-step-up concept utilized by Russian diamond company

Vacon signed a major contract with the Russian diamond company ALROSA covering the delivery of two step-down step-up drives to regulate slurry pumps. Vacon’s concept was significantly more cost-effective and convenient than the medium-voltage AC drives which were commonly used.

2005

Vacon ventures into the Middle East

Vacon opened a regional office in Dubai, UAE, strengthening the company’s presence in one of the most important and fastest growing regions.

Vacon caters for ultimate flexibility with common DC bus solutions

VACON NXP Common DC Bus enables commonality between power units. Two types of front-end units mean control option boards maximize use of VACON NXP features over a wide power range without the need for additional modules.

Vacon goes green(er)

In 2005, Vacon entered the renewable energy business by signing an agreement with The Switch (Finland) to leverage products for wind turbines.

VACON AC drives used in first ever AC drive-controlled chippers

History was made in 2005 as the first two chippers in the world, to be controlled by a single-motor frequency converter combination, began operations at Metsä-Botnia’s plant in Kaskinen, Finland. VACON NXC AC drives provided control.

Vacon helps create power out of thin air

Nord-Trondelag Energi, the Norwegian forerunner in the use of wind turbines, utilized VACON NXP Liquid Cooled AC drives in high-power wind turbines that use gearless permanent magnet generators. The drives would be part of the world’s largest wind turbine system at a wind park located 200 km north of Trondheim in Northern Norway.

New factory in China

Vacon’s factory in China moved to a new location in 2005. At the same time, Vacon changed its production strategy from a one-factory model to a decentralized factory model, and started to implement a mini-factory concept. This was a completely new way of manufacturing frequency converters on a global scale, based on the ideas of flow technology and mass customization. A global sourcing strategy started in factory operations, bringing significant cost benefits to the company.

2006

Vacon establishes foothold in Southeast Asia

11 October 2006 saw the opening of a Vacon office in Bangkok, Thailand. Lars Backström, Finland’s ambassador to Thailand, gave the inauguration speech to distributors, customers and cooperation partners in the region. The Bangkok office provides service, sales support and training for Vacon distributors and customers in South East Asia.

Vacon arrives on its 5th continent

On 1 October 2006, Vacon strengthened its global presence by opening a subsidiary in Melbourne, Australia. The office was opened with the intention of covering the Pacific region, while overseeing the Vacon offices in Perth and Brisbane.

Factory expansion in Vaasa

Vacon’s premises in Vaasa, Finland, were extended for the second time in 2006, adding another 7,100 m².

2007

Vacon strengthens service operations in Europe

On 13 September 2007, Vacon opened a new high-power service center in Gorinchem, the Netherlands. The center focuses on securing availability of high-power swap units, ensuring that customers receive the best possible customer support in Europe. The 960 m² high-power service center in Gorinchem provides 24/7 customer support, with a focus on fast swap unit and repair services. It also has training and testing facilities for application software, fieldbus communication and motor performance.

Vacon begins operations in India

24 January 2007 saw Vacon further strengthen its global presence by opening a subsidiary in Chennai on the Southeast coast of India with Shailendra Salvi at the helm. Vacon nowadays is firmly established on the subcontinent with a factory in Bangalore and a strong network of sales teams and distributors.

Vacon goes stateside

Vacon announced the acquisition of the AC drive business of TB Wood’s for $29m on 19 December 2007, and Vacon, Inc. was created. This established Vacon as a presence in the North American drives industry, opening offices and a manufacturing plant in the USA. It also saw the addition of the VACON 5X, VACON 50X and VACON 500X into the company’s portfolio, offering new opportunities with high-protection enclosures.

Vacon inaugurates offices in Brazil

By 2007, companies across Latin America were increasingly adopting AC drives to reduce energy costs, and Vacon sought to capitalize on this by opening offices in São Paulo, Brazil, on 2 November 2007, to support customers in Latin America. The company was under the leadership of Claudio Baccarelli. Another sales office would later open in Lauro de Freitas, Bahia in 2011. There is also a Vacon Service Center in Lauro de Freitas, providing trained service personnel and spare parts for customers in Latin America.

VACON AC drives help build the world’s tallest building

The reliability and efficiency that are synonymous VACON AC drives came in handy when they were used to provide a winch control system to keep the 5600 construction workers safe while building Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building standing at over 828 meters (2,716.5 feet) and containing more than 160 stories.

2008

London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 building opens – filled with VACON AC Drives

Terminal 5, the largest free-standing structure in the UK and the most advanced airport terminal in Europe, opened in March 2008, filled with over 800 VACON AC drives. As well as reducing energy consumption, the drives provide speed control to ventilation pumps, lowering noise levels and ensuring a more pleasant environment for passengers and staff.

Vacon provides ATEX-certified over-temperature protection for KemFine

VACON AC drives innovate to allow the control of motors placed in potentially explosive environments, simplifying installation, reducing costs, and, most importantly, making Kokkola chemical plant a safer place to work.

Vacon opens office in Czech Republic

On 20 May 2008, Hannu Kyröläinen, Finland’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, opened Vacon s.r.o. in Prague. The company was headed by Roman Patzelt.

Vacon expands globally

Vacon opened a subsidiary in Canada with Doug Backman at the helm, along with representative offices in Romania and Ukraine.

Factory expansion in Vaasa, Finland

Vacon’s premises in Vaasa, Finland, were extended for the third time in 2008, adding a further 9,000 m².

2009

Vacon expands presence in the East Asian market with new office in Korea

Vacon sought to expand its market share in the Far East with a new subsidiary in Seoul, South Korea. Vacon already had a strong presence in the Korean market, having had a brand label agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries since 2005.

VACON AC drives feature in revolutionary oil-free centrifugal compressor design

Vacon and CompAir worked together to provide Quantima, a high-speed compressor which operates with a rotor spinning on a magnetic field. This allowed the compressor to operate without a gearbox, oil, contact or wear.

New factory in Chambersburg, USA

19 November 2009 saw Vacon, Inc. move into its new North American factory in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. In 2010, the new factory was awarded LEED® Gold Certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's pre-eminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

Special AC drives for specific applications

2009 saw the launch of VACON 100 HVAC, which is still the definitive drive for Building Automation applications. Buildings account for 40% of all energy consumed globally and VACON 100 HVAC is an AC drive which prioritizes both high performance and environmental friendliness.

2010

Vacon looks to the sun

Vacon continued its push for renewable energy resources with the acquisition of a small Spanish company specializing in solar energy inverters in September 2010. This led to the arrival of VACON 8000 SOLAR inverters in 2011, which include revolutionary Multimaster software.

Clean power for the busiest port in the world

VACON NXP Grid Converter technology helped cut oil consumption through the use of shore power supply systems in the Port of Shanghai in China.

Vacon signs supplier contract with KONE

Vacon entered into an agreement with KONE Corporation, providing AC drives to supplement leading innovations in the elevator & escalator industry.

2011

New factories in China & Italy

Vacon’s manufacturing capabilities grew in 2011 with new manufacturing premises in Suzhou, China and a new factory in Merano, Italy opening later on in the summer. The Suzhou factory is an all-encompassing 24,000 m² area with an R&D lab, manufacturing plant and service center to serve the Asia-Pacific region. The Merano factory focuses on manufacturing and R&D with a green twist – it features an HVAC system powered by photovoltaic rooftop panels.

Vacon unveils new range of compact AC drives

On 22 November 2011, Vacon unveiled VACON 10, VACON 20 and VACON 20 Cold Plate, a new range of drives designed for the needs of OEM customers at the SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2011 fair in Nuremberg, Germany.

2012

Vesa Laisi opens NASDAQ Stock Market in New York

In recognition of Vacon’s healthy stock, Vacon’s President and CEO Vesa Laisi was invited to ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ Stock Market in New York on 15 November 2012.

VACON NXP range is enhanced for peak performance

Vacon’s range of premium high-performance VACON NXP AC drives was renewed in 2012 to further strengthen their position as industry-leading products. In the VACON NXP Air Cooled, new fans improve the reliability of the drive, thus ensuring a longer lifetime. Thanks to the new cooling concept, fan efficiency has been improved by more than 50%. The new VACON NXP Liquid Cooled high-power modules have new options which have been implemented to minimize cabinet size and cost.

Another year, another new product range

2012 saw four brand new products launched by Vacon, establishing the VACON 100 series. VACON 100 a new generation of multipurpose AC drives, with software functionality allowing it to be used for hundreds of application processes. VACON 100 X and VACON 20 X are two IP66/Type 4X Outdoor drives for decentralized solutions which are highly suited to harsh environments, while VACON 100 FLOW is another application-specific drive, dedicated to pumps and fans.

Vacon establishes regional center in Singapore

Vacon unveiled a new regional center in Singapore in August 2012 to increase availability of Vacon’s entire product portfolio to customers across the whole region.

Vacon receives Frost & Sullivan's European AC drives Product Line Strategy award

November 2012 saw Vacon receive the illustrious European Low Voltage AC Electric Drives Product Line Strategy Award for 2012. This was given as a recognition of the wide range of products that complement the broad customer base in Europe. The award supplemented previous awards given by Frost & Sullivan to Vacon in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

VACON AC drives saved 50 TWh in 2012

In 2012, VACON AC drives helped save approximately 50 TWh of energy. This corresponds to the production capacity of approximately nine nuclear reactors. At the same time, VACON AC drives helped reduce global carbon dioxide emissions considerably while the amount of renewable energy produced with Vacon products was approximately 20 TWh. Producing an equivalent amount of energy using coal would generate about 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Vacon fine-tunes its values – today, we are Stronger Together

Already at an early stage, Vacon had listed the values of the company, which have been followed ever since. In 2012, Vacon updated these values to represent the general ethos which flow through every employee into all our products. These values are the following: Stronger Together, Trust and Respect, Taking Ownership, and Passion for Excellence.

2013

Wärtsilä benefits from a new kind of decentralized AC drive

VACON 100 X offers both IP66/Type 4X protection and a decentralized setup which allows it to stand up to extreme environments without the need for a cabinet or any other external protection – a great help for Wärtsilä’s diesel power plants in remote locations.

Vacon celebrates 20 years at the forefront of the AC drives industry

Vacon is now firmly established as the world’s biggest company which is focused purely on AC drives. Employing globally about 1500 people, Vacon has built up arguably the most comprehensive product portfolio in the business by combining great technology with superior knowledge.

Vacon's AC drives boost the performance of electric motors and save energy. They enable more cost-effective production, and play a large role in cutting emissions.

 Values

Vacon's business culture is based around a set of values that flow through everything we do:

Stronger Together

Customers, partners and colleagues are at the heart of Vacon's operations. We work together to achieve our goals, and operate in a flexible manner to provide the best customer experience. By working together we create an inspiring, safe, sustainable and successful environment.

Trust and Respect

We trust each other and build our relationships on openness, respect and fairness. We believe work-life balance is essential for success.

Taking Ownership

We take ownership and have a drive for achievement. We take initiative, have the courage to take on new challenges and the ability to make decisions.

Passion for Excellence

We have the passion for excellence, quality and innovative solutions in all of our operations. We want to be the best.

Application

Vacon’s extensive offering is designed to deliver added value for AC drive applications. Our in-depth application knowhow is based on experience and our dedication to understanding the needs of both industrial processes and your business.

Every application has its unique requirements, and our target has always been to find AC drive solutions that work perfectly for you on the very first try. You will receive a solution that is optimized for your application, helping you to reach your goals and achieve measurable success. With a 100% focus on AC drives and a comprehensive global partner network, Vacon delivers performance to your applications.

AC drive applications for variable speed, energy management and renewable energy

Pumps, fans and compressors are the most common applications and they also typically benefit greatly from variable speed control. All industries have a wide variety of other applications that utilize speed control by AC drives.

Energy storage applications utilize AC drive technology for grid stability or peak shaving purposes. In hybrid applications the AC drives connect different unsynchronized power sources together or enable synchronization of different sections of the network.

In renewable energy the main application is converting the variable AC or DC power e.g. from a wind generator or solar panels to the electric distribution grid. 

Application software and tools for Vacon AC drives

Application Software is a logic program layer acting as an interface to motor control features, I/O, fieldbuses and other user interfaces. The logic inside the application software is programmed with IEC 61131-3 compatible logic programming. Keypad parameters and monitoring values are also programmed into the application software.

Over the years Vacon has programmed hundreds of application software packages that are used in a vast number of applications globally. The versatility of Vacon software and tools has made it possible to program customer specific application software for machine builders, who have the need to optimize AC drives for a range of machines. This kind of customization saves time in production, testing and commissioning as the AC drive is perfectly interfaced to the machine.

Similarly, Vacon has developed a full range of application software that is available in Vacon AC drives as standard from the factory or available as an upload on a later date to achieve a perfect match to the system requirements. With the same tools and methods several Vacon partners have programmed application software for their own use with Vacon programming tools. Application software programming capability is available locally at most Vacon locations.

The application expertise and an AC drive from Vacon is your route to improved energy efficiency, reduced lifecycle costs and optimized process performance.