VEM motors Thurm GmbH (Zwickau)

When the Stephan Brothers established a small electric workshop, which soon employed 5 people in 1908, during the turbulent beginnings of the electrical engineering industry, no one could have anticipated that eighty years later this company would have developed into the largest and most efficient manufacturer of electric motors in the world.

1908	establishment of an electric workshop by the brothers Alfred and Kurt Stephan
1920	beginnings of the production of electric and geared motors
1935	production of the one hundred thousandth motor; extension of the works; three-phase and single-phase motors, loom drives, washing machines, drives for forge fire blowers, drives for machine tools; 635 employees
1945	dismantling for reparation claims
1946	release of production, repair of electric motors
1946 - 1948	development of the conditions for resuming the production of motors
1959	production of the one millionth motor
1964	sale of the four millionth motor
1967	extension on the site incorporating a former pit
1968	new construction of a factory for geared motors
1970	independent company within Kombinat Elektromaschinenbau
1971 - 1975	introduction of the standard motor series KMR (0.12 – 4.0 kW), achievement of international engineering standard with three-phase motors
1989	3,500 people employed in 9 works, 1,850 directly involved in the production of motors
1990 - 1998	converted into VEM Elektromotorenwerke Thurm (Sachsen) GmbH as a company of the VEM Antriebstechnik AG, concentration of the production capacities at the location Zwickau-Pöhlau, restructuring of the location and exclusive focus on the motor business
1997	returned to private ownership and purchased by the business family Dr Adolf Merckle, Blaubeuren
1998	became independent as VEM Motors Thurm GmbH

Three-phase motors acc. to IEC/DIN squirrel cage		0.12 - 500 kW
Three-phase motors with wound rotor		2.20 - 250 kW
Three-phase brake motors		0.12 - 500 kW
Three-phase motors, forced-air cooled		0.25 - 500 kW
Three-phase roller table motors		0.60 - 160 kW
Three-phase marine motors acc. to the regulations of International classification societies		0.12 - 440 kW
Three-phase motors in protection types:
Increased safety		0.12 - 275 kW
Flameproof enclosure		0.12 - 560 kW
Non-sparking		0.09 - 450 kW
for use in Zone 21		0.09 - 90 kW
for use in Zone 22		0.09 - 500 kW
Variable speed three-phase drives		0.75 - 500 kW
Three-phase compact drives		0.75 - 22 kW
Energy saving motors (eff1 and EPCA)		0.09 - 315 kW
Motors for fire gas and smoke exhausting fans		2.20 - 500 kW
Three-phase asynchronous generators		2.20 - 420kVA

Partner for power engineering and environmental technology, plant engineering and construction, shipbuilding, handling technology and machine construction
	Application	Machine Type	Power
Power engineering and environmental technology heating and venti- lating engineering	Wind-power electric plants, compressors, power stations, pumps and compressors, fans, ventilating engineering, agitators	Asychronous generators, asynchronous motors in low- voltage design, variable-speed three-phase drives	up to 250 kVA up to 500 kW
Handling technology	Cranes and capstans in the shipbuilding, cranes in smelting plants, roller tables	Asynchronous motors in low- voltage design as squirrel-cage and slipring motors, variable-speed three-phase drives	up to 500 kW
Plant engineering and construction	Rolling mills, mining industry, primary and chemical industry, hazardous areas	Asynchronous motors in low-voltage design as EExe and EExd motors, as roller table motors	up to 500 kW
Traffic engineering	Standard-gauge railways, mine and auxiliary tramways	Motors for auxiliary drives, three-phase motors with squirrel-cage rotor	up to 500 kW