The motors driving your pumps, compressors, and process systems are at constant risk of VFD bearing damage. Shaft grounding protects them.
Oil, gas, and chemical plants run continuously, and one motor failure can idle an entire process unit. Nearly all of those motors run on variable frequency drives (VFDs), whose shaft voltage discharges through the bearings and cuts motor life short.
SGS shaft grounding clears that voltage safely to ground, protecting your process motors and the equipment they drive.
Trusted by Leading Petrochemical Companies
Just a few petrochemical companies that have SGS installed are Eastman Chemical Company and Chemtrade Electrochem, helping protect critical motors from bearing damage and premature failure.
In continuous processing, equipment doesn’t fail in isolation. When shaft voltage destroys the bearings in a pump or compressor motor, it can idle the unit that motor serves, turning a small part into lost throughput and an unplanned shutdown.
The damage can also spread. Shaft voltage doesn’t stop at the motor. Because the current seeks any path to ground, it can pass through the coupling and discharge through the bearings of the driven pump or compressor, multiplying the cost of a single unprotected motor.
Shaft Grounding Built for Severe-Duty, Hazardous Areas
Oil, gas, and chemical environments are among the most demanding anywhere: corrosive atmospheres, high temperatures, washdowns, and classified hazardous areas. SGS shaft grounding is engineered to keep a reliable path to ground under exactly these conditions, where unsealed devices corrode, foul, or lose contact.
It also fits how these plants specify motors. Shaft grounding is commonly applied to IEEE-841 severe-duty motors running on drives, and supports the bearing-current mitigation called for under NEMA MG1.
As a passive, mechanical device with no electronics, it adds protection without adding complexity.
Where Shaft Voltage Threatens Your Process Motors
Any VFD-driven motor can develop shaft voltage. Across oil, gas, and chemical operations, that includes the motors your production depends on most.
Oil and gas production and pipelines:
- Pipeline, injection, and transfer pumps
- Gas compressors and booster motors
- Cooling and process fans
- Separation and processing skids
Refining and chemical processing:
- Process and transfer pumps
- Compressors and blowers
- Mixers, agitators, and reactor drives
- Cooling tower and forced-draft fans
The Right SGS Shaft Grounding System for Every Motor
SGS Shaft Grounding Systems divert shaft current safely to the motor frame, away from the bearings, whatever the motor:
- CR Series: our axially mounted, sealed-brush system for standard NEMA and IEC frame motors, serviceable in under a minute while the motor runs. The right fit for most process pumps, fans, and blowers.
- SR Series: a split-ring system for large-frame motors, grounding both shaft ends where circulating currents are a concern, such as large compressor and pump drives.
- DR Series: a solid-ring system for motors that can be uncoupled, ideal for planned retrofits during a scheduled turnaround.
Why Oil, Gas & Chemical Plants Choose SGS Shaft Grounding
Whichever system your motors call for, SGS shaft grounding is built for the severe, corrosive, continuous-duty service these plants demand.
- Matched to every motor: the CR, SR, and DR Series cover standard process pumps and fans through large compressor and pump drives, so a single supplier protects the whole plant.
- Fast availability: same-day shipping within the US and rapid international delivery, so a protective part is never what holds up a repair or a turnaround.
- Built for continuous duty: long service intervals and simple rebuild kits for motors that run nonstop.
- Proven and US-made: 40 years of shaft grounding experience, manufactured in the USA.
Whether you’re protecting new process motors or retrofitting the units you already run, SGS systems install in the field without disrupting production.
FAQs
Is SGS shaft grounding suitable for hazardous or classified locations?
SGS shaft grounding devices are passive, mechanical components with no electronics of their own. For installations in classified or hazardous areas, contact us and we’ll confirm the right configuration and any area-specific requirements for your application.
Does shaft grounding help meet standards like IEEE-841 or NEMA MG1?
Yes. Shaft grounding is commonly specified on IEEE-841 severe-duty motors running on VFDs, and it supports the bearing-current mitigation guidance under NEMA MG1, helping your motors meet the reliability specifications these plants require.
Can shaft voltage damage coupled pumps or compressors, not just the motor?
Yes. Shaft voltage can travel through the coupling and damage the bearings of the driven equipment, not only the motor. Grounding the motor shaft diverts that current to ground, protecting the motor and the pump or compressor it drives.
Protect the Motors Your Process Depends On
Tell us about your pump, compressor, and process motors, and we'll recommend the right shaft grounding solution for your plant.