What frequency does to a duct machine
Nearly every motor in a duct shop is an AC induction motor, and its speed follows the supply frequency. Run a 50 Hz motor on 60 Hz and it turns about 20 percent faster; run a 60 Hz motor on 50 Hz and it turns about 17 percent slower. On a duct machine that changes several things at once:
- Line speed. A coil line quoted at 18 m/min on 50 Hz feeds about 21.6 m/min on 60 Hz. Faster is not free: notching, shearing and flanging stations have to keep up, and the accuracy the machine was set up for can drift.
- Torque and heat. Running a 50 Hz motor at 60 Hz on the same voltage weakens the magnetic field, cutting torque at the top of the range; running a 60 Hz motor at 50 Hz on full voltage over-fluxes it and it heats. Neither is a bench problem, it is a warranty problem.
- Hydraulics and pumps. Pump flow follows speed, so a hydraulic notcher or shear cycles faster or slower than its rated time, and cooling-water pumps on spiral slitters move a different flow than designed.
- Timers and PLC logic. Modern PLCs run on their own clock, so logic is safe; but any relay or pneumatic timing tuned on the factory floor is retuned at commissioning.
The rule: order the machine for the frequency you have. Frequency is the one thing a transformer cannot change.
Three-phase supply by country
Nominal three-phase voltages and frequencies for the markets we ship to most, from the WorldStandards international reference (published values; confirm with your own supply).
| Country | Three-phase | Frequency | Note for a machine order |
|---|
| Australia | 400 V nominal, often 415 V in practice | 50 Hz | Specify 415 V if your switchboard measures 415; motors tolerate the band but confirm |
| New Zealand | 400 V | 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build |
| United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy | 400 V | 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build; CE marking expected |
| Russia, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, India, Pakistan | 400 V | 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build |
| Nigeria, Qatar | 415 V | 50 Hz | Specify 415 V |
| United Arab Emirates | 400 V | 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build |
| Saudi Arabia | 400 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build required although the voltage looks European |
| South Korea | 400 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build required |
| Philippines | 400 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build required |
| Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia | 400 V (Malaysia often 415 V) | 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build; check Malaysian sites for 415 V |
| Japan | 200 V | 50 or 60 Hz by region | Low voltage and a split grid: state the site’s frequency and expect a transformer |
| United States | 277/480 V, 120/208 V, 240 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build; 480 V motors or a step-down transformer to 380/400 V |
| Canada | 347/600 V, 480 V, 240 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build; 600 V sites always need a transformer |
| Mexico | 440 V, 240/480 V, 127/220 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build; state which of the several standards your plant uses |
| Brazil | 220 V or 380 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build; 220 V sites draw high current, size cabling accordingly |
| Chile | 400 V | 50 Hz | Standard 50 Hz build; unusual for South America |
| Colombia | 220 V or 440 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build |
| Peru | 220 V | 60 Hz | 60 Hz build; high current at 220 V |
Brand and product names are the property of their respective owners, referenced here for honest comparison only. Ownership, positioning and published ranges are as verified in September 2026 from each maker’s own publications; confirm current specifications and support with each vendor before buying.
Two traps worth naming. Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the Philippines run 400 V at 60 Hz: the voltage looks European and the frequency is American, and a machine ordered on the voltage alone will be wrong. Japan is 200 V with 50 Hz in the east and 60 Hz in the west, so both figures must come from the site, not the country.
When the supply and the machine do not match
- Voltage only (same frequency). A step-up or step-down transformer sized to the machine’s kVA is the normal fix: 480 V to 380 V for a US shop, 600 V to 400 V in Canada. Budget the transformer, the space and the extra losses; specify it with the machine so it is sized correctly.
- Frequency. No transformer changes frequency. The right answers are: order the machine wound for your frequency (best), or fit a variable-frequency drive on the main drive so the motor sees the frequency it was designed for. A VFD also gives soft start and speed control, which is why many buyers fit one anyway. Where a machine has several motors, each needs its own solution.
- Phases. Main drives are three-phase. Some auxiliary machines are single-phase or two-phase, so check every machine on the order, not just the line.
- Earthing and neutral. Confirm the earthing arrangement your inspector expects (TN-S, TN-C-S, TT) and whether a neutral is available; some control transformers need one.
- Cable and breaker sizing. Lower voltage means higher current for the same power: a 40 kW line draws roughly 60 A at 400 V and about 110 A at 220 V. Size cabling and protection from the machine’s full-load current, not the motor plate alone.
What to tell the vendor before the order
- Measured voltage between phases at the switchboard, not the country’s nominal figure.
- Frequency, confirmed on site (critical in Japan and in any country with mixed grids).
- Phases available, neutral present or not, earthing arrangement.
- Available breaker capacity, and whether a dedicated circuit can be run to the machine.
- Whether you want the machine wound for your supply or a transformer or VFD supplied with it.
- The marking your inspector expects: CE in Europe, RCM in Australia, and whether local certification is required.
Put the answers in the quotation, and check the nameplate again at the factory acceptance test: it is far cheaper to change a motor in the factory than on your floor. The power requirements guide lists the typical draw of each machine class.
How Taokron builds for your supply
This is our own practice, so read it as a vendor’s description. Taokron is an Australian supplier that has built HVAC duct machinery since 1995, with 5,000+ machines in 100+ countries. Our machines are built 380 V / 50 Hz / three-phase as standard, and we build to other voltages and to 60 Hz to order; a few auxiliary machines differ (the SBDN-40 spot welder is two-phase 380 V, the handheld laser welder runs 220 V at 50 or 60 Hz). We ask for your measured voltage and frequency at quotation, state the supply on the quotation and on the nameplate, and confirm both at the factory acceptance test before shipment. Where a transformer or VFD is the better answer, we quote it with the machine rather than leaving it to the site.
Send us your supply and we will confirm the build →
FAQ
Can a 50 Hz duct machine run on 60 Hz?
Not safely as ordered. The motors turn about 20 percent faster, which changes line speed, weakens torque at the top of the range and can overheat components. Order the machine wound for your frequency, or fit a variable-frequency drive so the motor sees the frequency it was designed for. No transformer changes frequency.
Which countries look European on voltage but run 60 Hz?
Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the Philippines are published at 400 V and 60 Hz. Ordering on the voltage alone would get the wrong machine. Japan is the other trap: 200 V with 50 Hz in the east and 60 Hz in the west.
My shop is 415 V and the machine says 380 V. Is that a problem?
Usually not on its own; induction motors are built for a voltage band and 380 to 415 V at 50 Hz is normally within it. Tell the vendor your measured voltage anyway so the motors, contactors and control transformer are specified for it, and have it written on the quotation.
What does a US shop need for a 380 V machine?
A 60 Hz build, plus either 480 V motors or a step-down transformer from 480 V to 380 or 400 V sized to the machine’s kVA. Specify the transformer with the machine so it is sized correctly and space is planned for it.
How much current will the machine draw?
Depends on power and voltage: roughly, a 40 kW coil line draws about 60 A at 400 V and about 110 A at 220 V. Size cabling and breakers from the machine’s stated full-load current, and give the vendor your available breaker capacity.
What does Taokron build as standard?
380 V / 50 Hz / three-phase, with other voltages and 60 Hz to order. A few auxiliary machines differ, such as the two-phase spot welder and the 220 V handheld laser welder. We confirm supply at quotation and again at the factory acceptance test.
