Insights · Reference
Before a duct machine arrives, your electrician needs three numbers: connected power, supply voltage and frequency. This reference lists them for the SBKJ spiral tubeformer (SBTF) and automatic duct line (SBAL) ranges, explains how 50 Hz and 60 Hz markets are handled, and shows how to size the three-phase supply. Power figures are taken verbatim from the SBKJ Product Catalog 2026.
Every machine below runs on a three-phase supply. "Connected power" is the total of all drive, hydraulic and ancillary motors on the machine; the indicative full-load current is a planning estimate at 380 V, three-phase. Use it to size the feeder and breaker, then confirm against the electrical schedule that ships with the machine.
| Machine | Category | Connected power | Standard supply | Indicative current* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBTF-1500 | Spiral tubeformer | 5.5 kW + 4 kW saw (≈9.5 kW) | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈17 A |
| SBTF-1500C | Spiral + plasma | 5.5 + 1.2 kW saw + 7.5 kW plasma (≈14.2 kW) | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈25 A |
| SBTF-1602 | Spiral tubeformer | 15 kW + 0.25 kW pump (≈15.3 kW) | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈27 A |
| SBTF-2020 | Spiral tubeformer | 22 kW + 0.25 kW pump (≈22.3 kW) | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈40 A |
| SBAL-II | Auto duct line (entry) | 5.5 kW | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈10 A |
| SBAL-III | Auto duct line | 15.7 kW | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈28 A |
| SBAL-V | Auto duct line (flagship) | 87 kW | 380 V · 3-ph · 50 Hz | ≈155 A |
Source: SBKJ Product Catalog 2026 (connected power, nameplate). *Indicative full-load current is calculated at 380 V, three-phase, 0.85 power factor for planning only — it is not a nameplate value. Confirm the final current, cable and breaker sizing against the machine's electrical schedule and your local wiring rules. Standard supply is 380 V / 50 Hz; 60 Hz and other voltages are configured to order (see below).
This is the question almost every overseas buyer asks, and the answer is yes: the machine is built to your country's supply before it ships. The standard configuration is 380 V, three-phase, 50 Hz, which suits Australia, most of Europe, the Middle East and much of Asia and Africa. For 60 Hz markets (North America, parts of South America, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Korea and others) the motors and drives are selected for 60 Hz at the factory.
Voltage is handled the same way. By choosing the motor winding and fitting a matched control transformer, the same machine can be set for common supplies such as 220 V, 400/415 V, 440 V or 480 V. You tell SBKJ your voltage, phase and frequency at order; the machine arrives wired for it, so your electrician only has to connect the incoming feeder and earth, not rebuild the control panel.
Why frequency matters on a forming machine: an induction motor turns roughly 20% faster on 60 Hz than on 50 Hz. On a duct line that changes roll and feed speed, so the line is geared and the drives are tuned for the frequency it will actually run on. Running a 50 Hz-built machine on a 60 Hz supply without reconfiguration changes line speed and can overspeed pumps and fans — which is exactly why the frequency is set before dispatch rather than left to site.
Every production machine in the range is three-phase, including the light 5.5 kW SBAL-II. Forming rolls, hydraulic power packs and seam-closing drives need more torque and a steadier load than a single-phase supply delivers, and three-phase motors are smaller, cooler and longer-lived for the same output. If your workshop only has single-phase power, you will need a phase converter or a supply upgrade before any of these machines can be commissioned — plan that with your electrician early, because it is often the longest-lead item in the whole installation.
For a three-phase machine, full-load current is approximately:
Current (A) ≈ Power (kW) × 1000 ÷ (1.732 × Voltage × power factor)
At 380 V and a 0.85 power factor that simplifies to roughly kW × 1.8. So a 22 kW SBTF-2020 draws on the order of 40 A per phase, and an 87 kW SBAL-V draws on the order of 155 A. Size the incoming feeder and main breaker to the next standard rating above the calculated current, with headroom for motor starting, and follow your local wiring rules (AS/NZS 3000 in Australia; NEC in the United States). These figures are for planning the supply only; the machine's own electrical schedule gives the exact breaker, cable and earthing requirement.
So your electrician and builder can prepare the site before the machine lands, every SBKJ order includes an electrical schedule (connected load, recommended breaker and incoming cable) and a 2D workshop layout drawing showing the machine, uncoiler and run-out positions. Get those to your electrical contractor as soon as the order is placed: power supply and three-phase provisioning are the most common reasons an otherwise ready installation has to wait.
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Yes. The standard build is 380 V, three-phase, 50 Hz, but every machine can be configured at the factory for 60 Hz and for other supply voltages (220 V, 400/415 V, 440 V, 480 V) by selecting the motor winding and a matched control transformer. Because SBKJ exports to 100+ countries, the machine is set to your supply before it ships.
Yes — the whole range is three-phase, including the entry 5.5 kW SBAL-II. A single-phase workshop needs a phase converter or supply upgrade first. Plan this early; it is often the longest-lead item in the installation.
The SBAL-II draws 5.5 kW, the SBAL-III 15.7 kW, and the fully integrated SBAL-V 87 kW. Spiral tubeformers are lighter, from 9.5 kW (SBTF-1500) to 22 kW (SBTF-2020).
Plan around the connected power plus headroom. At 380 V three-phase, full-load current is roughly the connected kW × 1.8 (an 87 kW SBAL-V is on the order of 155 A per phase). Size the feeder and breaker to the next standard rating above that, per AS/NZS 3000, and confirm against the supplied electrical schedule.
Tell us your supply voltage, phase and frequency and an SBKJ mechanical engineer confirms the electrical fit within 12 hours — not a salesperson.
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