Motion Control & Drives


Modernising for productivity

August 2024 Motion Control & Drives

Making its debut appearance at NAMPO Cape in Bredasdorp in September this year, geared motor specialist SEW-EURODRIVE is all set to excite the farming community with even more solutions to drive productivity and efficiency.

From its firm footprint in the agricultural sector, through packhouses and bottling facilities countrywide, the company is now taking its offerings onto the lands with its quality gear units for centre pivots. National sales and marketing manager, Jonathan McKey says this is part of its continuous innovation to give farmers more energy-efficient solutions for streamlined and automated operations.

“Our classic 7 Series geared motors have for many years proudly served the farming industry in various packhouse applications including conveyors, sorters, and box packaging lines,” says McKey. “These solutions have long been fitted with premium efficiency IE3 motors, which are also available as non-integral units delivering considerable savings in energy costs.”

Variable speed drive (VSD) technology allows for further efficiency and even the finetuning of production lines to suit the pace of demand. “As part of modernising packhouse facilities, VSDs allow solutions to be tailored to a changing production pattern,” he says. “Another opportunity for greater efficiency is our ECDriveS drive system for roller conveyors in light duty materials handling.”

McKey emphasises the work SEW-EURODRIVE has done in closing the loop to meet more of the drive requirements in farming. The company now supplies, installs, and services the centre drive and wheel drives for pivot irrigation systems, and also the drive technology to power them. “These solutions have been popular on farms in Brazil since the 1980s,” he explains. “Similarities with South African conditions show that this offering will add value locally too.”

Aligning to the shaft sizes and flange connections on existing centre pivot irrigation equipment, SEW-EURODIVE provides a plug and play solution comprising gearing, casing, and motor. The concept is also more cost-effective and sustainable, as the company will service and repair the drive systems, not just replace them.

Underpinning the performance customers demand, SEW-EURODRIVE’s product quality and support allow the systems to achieve the highest levels of uptime. The company’s extensive national service footprint and decentralised stocking policy mean that servicing and parts are quickly available to customers within a matter of hours.

“Every key agricultural region is well served by our comprehensively stocked facilities in Cape Town, Nelspruit and Gqeberha for current products” he says. “We appreciate that agricultural products are sensitive to time and delay, so we help ensure minimal downtime.”

McKey says SEW-EURODRIVE also recognises the importance of sustainability principles in agriculture, and builds this approach into its designs. The high-performance ECO2 geared motor, for example, is made from uncoated aluminium, which forms a thin protective layer in contact with oxygen. With no coating or solvent on the surface, the result is more cost effective, environmentally friendly, and easier to recycle.

The company has even developed its own premium lubricants, based on its decades of field experience. These boost operational performance by reducing friction between gear wheels, and extend the life of sealing rings. These innovations are also ideal for applications in the food and beverages industry.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Solving common automation challenges with Festo’s servo drive and servo motor solutions
Festo South Africa Motion Control & Drives
Automation projects face challenges that include limited installation space, the need for precise and repeatable linear motion, rising cycle-speed demands, and seamless integration with existing control architectures. Festo’s servo portfolio directly addresses these issues with compact, modular drive and motor solutions designed for specific applications.

Read more...
Inside the Giant Magellan Telescope with mechanical engineering at astronomical scale
Motion Control & Drives
Construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, set to become the world’s largest Gregorian optical infrared telescope, is well underway. While its scientific mission is to transform astronomy, its performance depends heavily on advanced mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic engineering.

Read more...
Filtration as a reliability driver in motion control systems
Parker Hannifin - Sales Company South Africa Motion Control & Drives
This article highlights the importance of filtration in motion control systems, how contamination affects performance, and what fleet managers, operators and maintenance teams in southern Africa can do to reduce downtime, avoidable wear and costly repairs, aided by Baldwin Filters.

Read more...
Supporting construction of next-gen floating offshore wind turbines
Motion Control & Drives
While windy locations naturally make ideal spots for offshore wind farms, they bring challenges when it comes to assembling wind turbines, particularly in ports. Mammoet was approached by Euroports to support with the marshalling and assembly of the components that make up the three turbines at Port-la-Nouvelle in France.

Read more...
Rollers excel where profits balance on a knife edge
igus Motion Control & Drives
Polymer component specialist manufacturer, igus has developed a range of lubrication-free long-life knife edge rollers designed to improve the transfer of products between conveyor belts in high-speed production environments.

Read more...
Bringing physical AI to the factory floor by deploying humanoids in industrial operations
Siemens South Africa Motion Control & Drives
Siemens and Humanoid have marked a landmark milestone in the journey to bring physical AI from vision to industrial reality. Humanoid’s humanoid robothas been successfully tested in operations at Siemens’ electronics factory in Germany, performing autonomous logistics tasks.

Read more...
Next-generation oil-free motor systems with active magnetic bearings
WEG Africa Motion Control & Drives
WEG and SpinDrive are collaborating to integrate SpinDrive’s AMBs and built-in IoT condition monitoring into WEG’s market-leading electric motor offering, creating an oil-free, maintenance-free drive solution.

Read more...
Rising demand for advanced coolant technology
Motion Control & Drives
As modern engines become smaller, more powerful and increasingly complex, coolant technology has undergone a fundamental transformation.

Read more...
Addressing cost, supply and disease pressures in Africa’s feed industry
Motion Control & Drives
Feed producers across Africa are operating in an increasingly complex and volatile environment. The pressures are forcing producers to rethink how they operate, balancing cost control, production efficiency and the need for greater flexibility in an unpredictable market.

Read more...
Rapid headframe replacement for Canada’s biggest potash mine
Motion Control & Drives
Mammoet has supported Ledcor with the construction of BHP’s new Jansen potash mine.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved