Variable Speed Drives

A variable speed drive is a drive that controls the speed and rotational force of a motor and is capable of changing the speed of the drive steplessly from zero to full. Variable speed drives are used primarily for process control, but increasingly for energy conservation benefits as well. The term variable speed drive is sometimes used interchangeably with the term adjustable speed drive, though at times they also have slightly different meanings (see below).

Variable Speed Drive Manufacturers

• Zero-Max has been providing servo motion control solutions for over 60 years and is a manufacturer of variable speed drives, shaft couplings, and keyless lock bushings. Zero-Max has strategic distribution points throughout the globe to deliver motion control solutions to customers world wide. Zero-Max was founded when Sterling Stageberg invented a unique mechanical variable speed transmission drive, and has led the motion control industry ever since.

Adjustable vs Variable Speed Drives

The terms adjustable speed drive and variable speed drive are sometimes used interchangeably, and sometimes used to refer to slightly different drive characteristics. In common parlance, an adj