Obsolete Danfoss VLT Drive Parts

Last updated: August 29, 2026

Danfoss VLT drives have an unusually long service life, which means a large installed base of units whose generation is no longer built. This guide covers how the ordering numbers work, what to send us, and what your options are when a drive or a control card is no longer available.

Short answer

Danfoss identifies drives and accessories by a numeric ORDERING NUMBER rather than a descriptive model code. The number on the label is what the channel indexes on.
The type code on the nameplate spells out voltage, power rating, enclosure and options. Send both the ordering number and the full type code where the label carries them.
Control cards, option modules and keypads are ordered separately from the drive and are often the item that actually failed.
A newer VLT generation is not a drop-in for an older one — frame dimensions, control terminals and parameter numbering all changed between generations.

Ordering number, type code, and why you want both

Danfoss labels carry a numeric ordering number that uniquely identifies a specific configuration, alongside a longer type code that spells out what that configuration actually is — voltage, power rating, enclosure class, and any fitted options.

The ordering number is what surplus and distribution channels search on, so it is the most useful thing to send. The type code is what lets us check whether an alternative is genuinely equivalent, because it states the options the ordering number only implies. Where the label carries both, send both.

If the drive is in service and the label is legible, a photograph beats transcription. These are long numeric strings and a single transposed digit produces a different, real part.

The failed item is often not the drive

On VLT installations specifically, a large share of the requests we see are for the pieces around the drive rather than the drive itself — control cards, option modules, keypads and local control panels, and filter or brake accessories. These are ordered separately and they fail separately.

That is good news for sourcing: an option module is far easier to find in surplus than a complete drive, and replacing one avoids re-commissioning the installation.

Between generations, nothing is a drop-in

VLT has run through several generations, and a newer one is not a replacement for an older one in any mechanical or electrical sense. Frame dimensions and mounting change, control terminal layouts change, and parameter numbering changes — so a working parameter set from the old drive is not transferable as-is.

Where a generation change is the only route it is a commissioning job. That is a legitimate answer, but it should be a planned one rather than a discovery made during a breakdown.

Your options

Surplus or new-old-stock for the exact ordering number. Least disruptive; availability varies by how widely that configuration sold.
The option or card alone, where the drive itself is healthy. Usually the fastest and cheapest outcome.
Repair or exchange, particularly for power sections and control cards.
A current-generation drive plus mechanical and control rework, with the parameter set rebuilt.

Getting a quote

Send the ordering number and the type code — or a photograph of the label — and tell us whether the drive or an option is the failed item. We reply within 1 business day with what is genuinely available, and say so plainly when nothing is. Search what we list in the catalog, browse drives and soft starters, or use the obsolete part lookup.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Danfoss ordering number?

It is the numeric code on the drive or accessory label that uniquely identifies one specific configuration, and it is what distribution and surplus channels search on — so it is the most useful thing to send when asking for a quote. The longer type code on the same label spells out what that configuration is (voltage, power, enclosure and options) and is what lets us check whether an alternative is genuinely equivalent.

Can I fit a newer VLT generation in place of an older one?

Not as a drop-in. Frame dimensions and mounting differ between generations, control terminal layouts differ, and parameter numbering changed, so an existing parameter set is not transferable as-is. It is a valid route when nothing else is available, but treat it as a planned commissioning job rather than a like-for-like swap.

Can I buy just the control card or keypad instead of the whole drive?

Usually, and it is frequently the right question to ask. Control cards, option modules, keypads and filter or brake accessories are ordered separately and fail separately, and an option module is far easier to find in surplus than a complete drive. Tell us which part actually failed rather than only the drive model.

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