LCI Drive Replacement
Legacy LCI technology may still be in service, but that does not make it the best solution for a modern facility.
Replace Obsolete LCI Drives with a Modern Medium Voltage Solution
Move beyond aging load commutated inverter technology with a full replacement strategy built for reliability, supportability, and modernization.
- Full replacement solutions
- Medium voltage application support
- Fast expert response
Why Plants Are Replacing LCI Drives
Many LCI drives have been in service for decades. While these systems may still be running, that does not mean they are still the right platform for the future.
Obsolete Controls
Legacy control hardware becomes harder to support and more expensive to keep in service.
Limited Spare Parts
Critical replacement parts are often scarce, delayed, or sourced through uncertain channels.
Downtime Risk
Aging drive systems create greater exposure to unplanned outages and emergency repairs.
Legacy Knowledge Dependency
Troubleshooting often depends on a shrinking number of people who still know the system.
Integration Challenges
Older LCI systems are harder to align with current automation and plant control expectations.
Higher Maintenance Burden
As systems age, maintenance effort rises while confidence in long-term reliability falls.
Repairing an Old LCI vs Replacing It
Many facilities reach a point where continuing to repair an aging LCI no longer makes sense as a long-term strategy. For many operations, replacement becomes the more practical path when ongoing repairs no longer reduce risk or improve confidence in long-term reliability.
Keep Repairing the Existing LCI
- - Aging hardware remains in service, even after targeted repairs.
- - Parts availability risk continues to grow over time.
- - Legacy support burden stays in place for maintenance teams.
- - Repairs often remain reactive rather than strategic.
- - Long-term lifecycle value remains uncertain.
Replace with a Modern Solution
- - Move away from obsolete LCI architecture and aging hardware risk.
- - Improve maintainability and supportability going forward.
- - Better align the drive system with modernization goals.
- - Reduce ongoing operational and maintenance uncertainty.
- - Create a stronger long-term path for reliability and plant planning.
Not sure which path makes more sense for your facility?
When Does Replacement Become the Better Option?
For many facilities, the issue is not whether the LCI is aging. The issue is when the cost, risk, and uncertainty of keeping it in service outweigh the value of continuing to repair it.
Faults and nuisance trips are becoming more frequent
Critical spare parts are harder to source
Support depends on limited legacy knowledge
Modernization goals are being delayed by legacy equipment
A major failure would create a forced decision
If your facility is facing these issues, now is the time to evaluate a replacement path before the next failure sets the schedule.
How Our LCI Replacement Process Works
Replacing an aging LCI does not have to start with a full project commitment. It starts with a practical review of your existing application, your risks, and the best path forward.
Review Your Existing LCI Application
We start by understanding your current drive application, operating concerns, support issues, and replacement goals.
Evaluate Replacement Options
We look at the risks of staying with legacy equipment and help define the replacement approach that best fits your operation.
Define the Recommended Path
Based on your application and priorities, we help outline the next step toward a full LCI replacement solution.
Support Your Next Step
From early planning through replacement discussions, we help your team move forward with a more supportable long-term strategy.
Start with a practical conversation about your current LCI system.
Proven Medium Voltage Project Experience
VFDs.com brings broad medium voltage project experience to replacement and modernization applications. Below are project examples tied to uptime, modernization, and performance improvements in critical industrial applications.
Metal Recycling
Increased Production and Reduced Downtime
See our shredder project where a medium voltage VFD helped improve control, increase production, and reduce jams in a demanding application.
Read the Case StudyLarge Facility Modernization
Replaced Aging Infrastructure and Improved Reliability
Our public convention center work focused on reducing energy consumption, improving reliability, and replacing aging infrastructure with new VFD systems.
Read the Case StudyCompressor Startup Problem Solved
Solved a Costly Operating Problem Quickly
See our landfill energy project where resolving a high-inrush issue helped get the plant running again after expensive downtime.
Read the Case StudyFor facilities considering LCI replacement, this kind of medium voltage project experience matters.
It shows a track record of supporting critical applications where uptime, modernization, and long-term reliability are not optional.
Why Work with VFDs.com
Replacing a critical industrial drive is not a casual decision. It affects reliability, maintenance planning, modernization goals, and long-term plant support. You need a partner that understands the difference between keeping an aging system alive and helping you move toward a better long-term solution.
We focus on helping industrial facilities move beyond obsolete LCI technology with practical replacement strategies built around supportability, maintainability, and operational risk reduction.
Focused on Full Replacement Solutions
We are not trying to patch aging LCI technology indefinitely. Our focus is on helping customers move toward a full replacement path.
Practical Modernization Mindset
We help facilities think beyond short-term repairs and evaluate replacement decisions in the context of long-term plant needs.
Built for Industrial Applications
Our approach is geared toward the realities of industrial operations where uptime, supportability, and risk matter.
Straightforward Expert Guidance
We aim to help customers understand their options clearly and move toward a replacement strategy that makes operational sense.
What is an LCI Drive?
An LCI drive (load commutated inverter drive) is a type of medium voltage variable frequency drive used to control large synchronous motors. These systems rely on the motor’s back EMF for commutation and are commonly found in high-power industrial applications.
Start Planning Your LCI Drive Replacement
If your facility is operating an aging LCI drive, now is the time to evaluate a replacement path built for long-term reliability, supportability, and modernization.
We help industrial facilities move beyond obsolete LCI technology with full replacement solutions designed for current operational demands and long-term plant needs.
Discuss your current application, support concerns, and replacement goals with our team.