At Electra Mining Africa this year SEW-EURODRIVE showed the wider selection of planetary drives it is rolling out as part of its strategy of ‘closing the loop’ in its product offerings and expanding into more industry sectors.
Among the new ranges being introduced into South Africa are the SEW PPK series and the SEW P2.e series of planetary gear units – both offering new opportunities for industrial gearbox users. Jonathan McKey, National Sales and Marketing Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE, says these new additions to the local range highlight the company’s global engineering and applications capabilities.
“For instance, the PPK series was originally developed by SEW-EURODRIVE in Brazil, to serve the large and thriving sugar sector,” he says. “Our design and engineering experts in Germany then leveraged those advances in developing the SEW P2.e series – aimed at larger applications.”
He emphasises that both series build on the key benefits that planetary gear units offer customers: a compact solution for space-constrained conditions, as well as high torque and low speed outputs – suitable for use in mining and other applications. The SEW PPK series delivers 10 to 18 kNm of torque with a ratio range from 65:1 to 390:1, and the SEW P2.e series encompasses torque ratings from 24 to 124 kNm with ratios from 15.2:1 to 332:1.
McKey also points to another important aspect of the planetary ranges: their reduced weight compared to traditional technologies.
“A sugar mill’s crystalliser, for example, will conventionally have a multi-gear solution which applies considerable weight and strain on the system. A compact planetary unit from SEW-EURODRIVE can deliver the same results with much less weight – within an integrated design. The benefits are also evident in less wear on components like bearings and the civils structures, which leads to less maintenance being required.”
Also on show among SEW-EURODRIVE’s new products were its high performance ECO2 geared motors, designed in line with the company’s sustainability focus and the market’s growing demand for products that, in their manufacturing process, are more environmentally friendly. The ECO2 range boasts a coating-free design, so there are no solvents or coatings used on the outer surfaces. This makes the units efficient and reliable in indoor applications where humidity levels can reach 60%, and they can operate in temperatures between -20°C and 60°C. The aluminium construction reacts with oxygen to form a thin protective layer; the ECO2 design also meets the requirements of ISO 12944 corrosive category 1.
In automation
On the automation side, a highlight of the SEW-EURODRIVE offering is the SEW MOVI-C® drive technology – a comprehensive modular automation system designed to provide seamless integration and high performance for various industrial applications.
SEW MOVI-C® drive technology is a comprehensive modular automation system.
Willem Strydom, Manager Business Development Electronics, points to applications like hoisting where, in terms of energy efficiency, MOVI-C® facilitates the use of regenerative power from braking and this energy can be fed back into the system or stored in battery packs. The MOVILINK® digital data interface (DDI) connects the drive train into the data system through a single hybrid cable solution. “This allows customers to receive real-time information on a range of indices, such as energy efficiency, application performance and condition monitoring,” Strydom says. “This is a significant differentiator for us in the market,” he notes.
Further investment in service and repairs
In another announcement this week, SEW-EURODRIVE revealed its planned investment of some R380 million in a new service and repair centre which is to be built alongside its quite recently established assembly plant in Aeroton, south of Johannesburg.
The new facility will provide drive and gearbox repairs and servicing to customers in the South African and sub-Saharan African markets. It will handle SEW-EURODRIVE products as well as competitors’ products when they need servicing or repair.
Raymond Obermeyer, MD of SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, said this investment is motivated by growing demand in the market for skilled servicing and repairs of this specialised equipment. The new facility will also allow for SEW-EURODRIVE to offer a greater scope of services to the market.
For more information visit: www.sew.co.za
