SEW-Eurodrive South Africa will exhibit at the Congress of the South African Sugar Technologists Association (SASTA) from 14 to 16 August at the International Convention Centre in Durban.
The event focuses on the presentation of significant scientific and technological advancements to key stakeholders in the industry, in conjunction with a world-class exhibition. The sugar industry represents a major growth area for SEW, where it aims to supply energy-efficient drives to maximise the load and capacity of mills and refiners.
“We also provide unique drive engineering solutions, as factories require varying options for sugar production. Our geared motors are ideal for horizontal crystallisers, filters, clarifiers, conveyors, batch pans and mixers, and packaging. We also offer back-up support and service,” comments national sales manager, Norman Maleka.
He adds that industrial gear solutions are in great demand in the sugar industry due to the extremely challenging production process required to turn the harvested product into finely granulated sugar. During the harvest period, sugar mills can run 24/7 for months on end. It is a harsh environment that requires highly robust and reliable drive solutions. Typical applications for these large gear units are rotary kilns and segmented girth gears, large agitators, extruders and crane technology.
As with industry in general, the sugar sector is moving towards tailored drive packages and total system solutions. “Our clients in the sugar industry require custom solutions that can be implemented quickly and reliably for maximum productivity from the get-go,” highlights Maleka. “Our 80-plus years of experience in drive technology means we are the ideal partner for this industry.”
Coupled to this is the company’s international expertise and experience. For example, it recently supplied three-stage bevel-helical gear units and 200 kW IE3 DRN motors to the Offstein plant of Südzucker, a global market leader in sugar production that processes 16 000 tons of sugar beets per day.
Here, a new conveyor belt was equipped with two almost identical drives. The two gear motors were connected to the drive drum using a pin coupling. For changing from one gear unit to another, the two couplings had to be interchanged mechanically, an efficient process that could be undertaken within two hours thanks to the solution provided by SEW-Eurodrive.
The IE3 motors supplied are operated at a fixed rotational speed, and are also suitable for soft-start. Torque is transmitted from the motors to the conveyor belt by the two large industrial gear units, designed for a nominal gear unit torque of 90 kNm.
In terms of SEW’s latest innovations for the sugar industry, Maleka points to the P-X Industrial Gear unit series, which combines a compact planetary stage with a robust versatile industrial gear unit. This provides an efficient solution for medium to high-torque drives, especially in demanding applications such as the sugar industry. In addition, the combination of planetary and helical-bevel gear units translates into an optimum power/weight ratio, in addition to an improved thermal limit rating by means of a shared oil chamber.
SEW-Eurodrive has the advantage of being able to provide a fully comprehensive drive technology portfolio from a single source. “We rely not only on our own universal expertise in mechanical, electrical, and electronic drive technology for your specific solution, but are also able to offer the necessary expertise in control technology, engineering tools and system software, enhanced further by the highest safety and energy efficiency standards,” concludes Maleka.
For more information contact Jana Klut, SEW-Eurodrive, +27 11 248 7000, [email protected], www.sew-eurodrive.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 248 7000 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.sew-eurodrive.co.za |
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