In the annals of industrial history, few innovations have demonstrated such remarkable staying power as the dynamo-electric principle. Discovered by Werner von Siemens in 1866, this groundbreaking principle remains fundamental to modern electrical engineering more than a century and a half later – and continues to shape the technology portfolio of Innomotics, a globally leading provider of electric motors and large drive systems. What began as a breakthrough in electromechanical energy conversion has evolved into a cornerstone of global industry – powering everything from brewery operations in Qingdao to high-voltage drive systems in petrochemical plants.

The year 1866 marked a decisive turning point, not only in the broader arc of industrial transformation but specifically in the realm of electric motion. At a time when Europe was entering a new phase of industrial transformation, Werner von Siemens pioneered the dynamo-electric principle – a breakthrough that enabled electric machines to generate their own magnetic field through self-excitation. This innovation transformed electric machines from laboratory curiosities into practical power sources, enabling the widespread electrification of industry and infrastructure that defined the late 19th century.

This electric motor from Innomotics was installed in the early 1900s at the historic Tsingtao Brewery in China and supported production processes for more than 90 years, operating continuously under industrial conditions.Innomotics

The principle itself is elegantly simple: an iron core generates a stable magnetic field; a rotating coil is placed within this field; movement in the magnetic field induces an electric current; part of this current strengthens the magnetic field; and electrical energy is continuously converted into motion.

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