Motion Control & Drives


Energy efficient solutions from Siemens

September 2013 Motion Control & Drives

The Siemens Drive Technologies Division has developed a new drive system for a cement mill as part of a joint project with Gebr. Pfeiffer SE, a company with a long tradition in the manufacture of processing systems for the cement, lime, gypsum and ceramics industries. Siemens will supply six drive modules with an overall power rating of 11 520 kW to enable the mill to produce 450 metric tons of cement per hour, the most powerful of its kind in the world today. The mill will be operated by the Brazilian cement producer Holcim, which will commission the plant as part of a project to expand the capacity of its Barroso works in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The multi-drive solution meets the demands of the cement industry for availability, reliability and performance power. The modular and redundant drive system consists of six identical 1920 kW drive modules that drive the grinding table of the cement mill. Siemens is also supplying all components of the drive train: gear unit, coupling and oil supply system, as well as electric motors and frequency converters. A decisive advantage of this concept is that the drive units are mounted on carriages, thus enabling them to be replaced quickly whenever maintenance is required and ensuring the fastest possible resumption of mill operation. The radial arrangement of the drive units around the grinding table bearings protects the drives against grinding forces. The frequency converter allows variable speed adjustment and thus flexible adaptation of the milling process to suit the requirements of different input materials. This makes it possible to optimise, for example, throughput or energy efficiency. With this system configuration, even higher output drive modules can be installed for an overall power rating of up to 16 500 kW. Up till now, the mechanical engineering limit attainable by conventional plants was only 8 000 kW.

“The multi-drive solution developed by Siemens is another example of how we can offer significant benefits to our customers by combining innovative mechanical drive components with suitable electronic drive systems to create an integrated drive solution. Thanks to the modular design of the drive train, a system can deliver previously unattainable performance ratings and offer significantly more energy efficiency and availability,” says Dr. Bernhard Hoffmann, head of drive applications at Siemens’ Mechanical Drives Business Unit.

Siemens and Gebr. Pfeiffer SE has previously cooperated successfully on a number of different projects. The operating and project experience gained from vertical mills featuring integrated multi-drive systems in France, India and Australia could therefore be channelled into this new project.

For more information contact Keshin Govender, Siemens Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 652 2412, [email protected], www.siemens.co.za



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Medium voltage drive for enhanced energy efficiency and process optimisation
Schneider Electric South Africa Motion Control & Drives
Schneider Electric South Africa has unveiled its cutting-edge Altivar Process ATV6100 medium voltage (MV) drive range, designed to enhance energy efficiency and operational reliability across various industries.

Read more...
Powerful high-precision hexapod
Motion Control & Drives
With the HEX150-125HL, Aerotech is launching the latest generation of its hexapod technology. The compact six-axis positioner combines precise movements with high load capacity and simple integration.

Read more...
Servicing the electric motor sector
Motion Control & Drives
Hexagon Electrical has expanded its manufacturing and service capabilities to meet the growing demand for customised, high-performance specialised electric motors in heavy engineering, and hazardous industrial and mining applications.

Read more...
New world of process control: A completely web-based process control system
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Control technology is crucial for gaining a competitive edge in the process industry. That’s why there’s SIMATIC PCS neo - the innovative ground-breaking process control system by Siemens.

Read more...
Control system for deep antenna
Rockwell Automation Motion Control & Drives
When a major university in South Korea set out to build a 21-metre deep space antenna, the researchers needed a control system that could track celestial objects with pinpoint accuracy, a level of precision they thought was out of reach. By partnering with Rockwell Automation, they discovered that the right technology and support could turn their vision into reality.

Read more...
Manufacturers should go PFAS-Free
igus Motion Control & Drives
igus continues to develop engineered plastics that are free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS-free) in response to mounting evidence of severe environmental and health hazards caused by the chemicals.

Read more...
South African paper producer partners with ABB
Motion Control & Drives
Neopak, a leading manufacturer of containerboard and paper products, has renewed its partnership with global technology company, ABB to upgrade the existing automation system at its Rosslyn Paper Mill in Pretoria.

Read more...
Electromagnetic flow measurement
Siemens South Africa Flow Measurement & Control
The SITRANS FM electromagnetic flowmeters from Siemens deliver high-precision volume measurement of electrically conductive liquid applications – from water, wastewater and irrigation to hygienic processes and even mining slurries with magnetic particles.

Read more...
ABB supplies electromagnetic stirrer to world’s largest electric arc furnace
Motion Control & Drives
ABB has secured an order from Çolakoglu Metalurji. for an ArcSave electromagnetic stirrer to be installed on one of the world’s largest electric arc furnaces (EAF)

Read more...
Bombardier expands adoption of Siemens Xcelerator for aircraft developmen
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Bombardier has expanded its adoption of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software for aircraft development.

Read more...