Jutta Humbert, Nord Drive Systems’ joint managing director and daughter of its founder, attended Nord UK’s recent anniversary celebrations recently, and revealed that the parent company – still family-owned – is aiming to become a €1bn business by 2025. Sales this year are expected to be around €700m.
Globally, Nord employs more than 4,000 people, with the US being its biggest market – larger than Germany, which accounts for around 20% of its sales. The company operates 30 assembly plants around the world and, in addition to its geared motors, produces more than 10,000 inverters every year.

Nord says its new permanent magnet motor will have an efficiency higher than IE5
• At next month’s SPS show in Germany, Nord will unveil a permanent magnet synchronous motor with an efficiency level that it is calling IE5+. It says that the high-power-density, smooth-bodied motor, available initially in ratings from 0.25–1.1kW, will have an efficiency which “at times is significantly above efficiency class IE5 over a wide torque range”. It expects the motor to be particularly attractive for intralogistics applications and for those requiring partial-load operation.