Drives, motors and switchgear

One drive, ten motors: rethinking medium-voltage motor control

South African industries facing rising energy costs, constrained capital budgets and increasing pressure to improve uptime can rethink how large motors are started, controlled and protected. Adrian van Wyk, CEO of Referro Systems, says a new approach to medium-voltage motor control allows several high-power motors to be managed using a single medium-voltage variable speed drive. This delivers significant reductions in capital expenditure, footprint and system complexity, without compromising reliability.

Next generation predictive maintenance

As industries intensify their efforts to cut downtime, reduce maintenance costs and operate with greater energy efficiency, the ability to anticipate equipment issues before they occur has become essential. Predictive maintenance is now a core requirement for modern operations and SEW-EURODRIVE’s DriveRadar® IoT Suite is part of this evolution.

How to maximise value from MEPS for electric motors

In South Africa, the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for electric motors that came into effect in mid-2025 require all low voltage IE1 and IE2 electric motors, which are widely used across industries – in heavy-duty cranes, pumps, conveyor belts, air conditioning and more – to be replaced by the more energy-efficient IE3 motors.

Meeting the needs of Eastern Cape industry

In November, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded Gqeberha facility, boosting local capacity to support the Eastern Cape’s key industries. The expansion reflects a substantial investment and brings advanced technical capabilities to the region, positioning SEW EURODRIVE as a powerful local partner to serve the province’s fast growing industrial sector. The opening was attended by key customers and industry leaders who had first view of the state-of-the-art facility.

Expanded economy drive system

The new AM1000 servomotor joins the economy drive system from Beckhoff. The compact, servomotor and the AX1000 servo drive are combined to deliver powerful drive technology economically, providing users with a coordinated, cost-optimised drive system. Features such as One Cable Technology (OCT), simple plug-and-play commissioning, and seamless TwinCAT integration make the system especially user-friendly.

Taking the right steps in upgrading to IE3 motors

With South Africa’s Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) mandating the use of premium efficiency IE3 motors now in effect – since June 2025 – SEW-EURODRIVE sees a valuable opportunity for geared motor users to boost efficiency in their operations. However, the company says forward planning, trusted expert guidance and adopting a system-level approach are important considerations that will help organisations take the best next steps.