Poultry Plants Cut Downtime With ABB’s Food Safe Feather Picker Motor

Summary

Oct. 6, 2025 – Poultry processors facing strict sanitation standards, labor shortages and costly downtime can now streamline operations with the new ABB Baldor-Reliance Food Safe Feather Picker motor.

Unplanned downtime costs manufacturers more than $1.5 trillion annually. For poultry plants, that risk comes with added pressure from contamination concerns and the need for fast changeovers. ABB’s new motor expands the proven ABB Baldor-Reliance Food Safe stainless steel line, offering configurations that speed up installation, simplify maintenance and keep production lines reliable.

ABB’s expansion adds a three-horsepower feather picker motor in a compact NEMA 145 frame. This standardized size delivers strong output in a small footprint and allows direct replacement of existing motors without costly modifications.

The motor integrates seamlessly into 230- or 460-volt systems with dual-voltage capability, eliminating special wiring and enabling faster swaps across facilities. Mounting options include footed and C-face footed designs. For wiring, the motor offers a 360-degree rotatable conduit box for easier connections or an optional pre-wired water-tight version for washdown environments.

Built from corrosion-resistant 304 stainless steel with static seals, encapsulated windings and IP69 ingress protection, ABB’s Food Safe Feather Picker motor withstands daily high-pressure cleaning. Smooth, crevice-free surfaces, welded feet and external drains make it easier to sanitize thoroughly, reducing contamination risks and supporting compliance with strict food safety standards.

“Poultry processors asked for more flexible, hygienic options. This expansion delivers faster installation, easier maintenance and dependable performance, all critical for plant success,” said Brandon Canclini, global product manager, ABB NEMA Motors Division.

The ABB Baldor-Reliance Food Safe product line spans ½ to 30 horsepower, giving processors the flexibility to standardize motors across diverse applications. Color-coded leads and laser-marked nameplates simplify installation and service, while the open design eliminates the need for motor shrouds and provides full 360-degree access for cleaning and inspection.

All ABB Baldor-Reliance Food Safe motors are backed by a three-year warranty, helping processors control long-term operating costs with confidence.

About ABB Motion

ABB Motion, a global leader in motors and drives, is at the core of accelerating a more productive and sustainable future. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to contribute to energy efficient, decarbonizing and circular solutions for customers, industries and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services we support our customers and partners to achieve better performance, safety and reliability. To help the world’s industries outrun – leaner and cleaner, we deliver motor-driven solutions for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Building on over 140 years of domain expertise in electric powertrains, our more than 22,000 employees across 100 countries learn and improve every day.

About ABB 

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this "Engineered to Outrun." The company has over 140 years of history and more than 105,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB).