Editor's Choice


Planetary gear units for high torque requirements

September 2025 Editor's Choice Motion Control & Drives

Packing a compact design, along with high torque and low-speed outputs, the new SEW PPK and SEW P2.e planetary gear units from SEW-EURODRIVE offer new capabilities in continuous heavy duty applications where space is at a premium.

Speaking directly to SEW-EURODRIVE’s ‘close the loop’ strategy, the arrival of the SEW PPK and SEW P2.e planetary gear opens up a whole new world of possibilities, particularly in heavy duty, challenging operating conditions with high torque and low speed requirements.

Typical applications in the mining industry include crushers, apron feeders, clarifiers and thickeners. Other industrial applications range from screw presses and slewing gears to wood panel shredders, ring pan mixers and batch plants, amongst others.


Edwin Weyers, business development manager for Projects at SEW-EURODRIVE.

“The SEW PPK planetary gear units complement SEW-EURODRIVE’s product line in the torque load range under the proven P-series,” explains Jonathan McKey, national sales and marketing manager at SEW-EURODRIVE. Offering a torque range from 10 to 18 kNm, the SEW PPK covers a gear ratio range from 65 to 390:1. The ratio can be further reduced by adding a primary reducer before the planetary head, allowing for ratios up to 10 650:1 for a much lower speed capability.

Available with torque ratings from 2 to 124 kNm, the SEW P2.e range covers gear ratios from 15,2 to 332:1. While most planetary gearboxes have a three-stage design only, the SEW P2.e can also be supplied in a two-stage model. The SEW P2.e encompasses all the benefits of the SEW PPK, but goes a step further with a broader spectrum of diversity in its speed – up to 100 rpm – as well as in ratio and torque.

“The high strength, durable materials with advanced heat treatment allow the gear units to withstand extreme loads and resist wear, thus making light work of high-torque requirements,” says McKey. “In essence, these planetary gear systems produce high torque by distributing the load across several gears and using gear ratios to multiply the input torque. The efficient and compact design allows for high torque in a relatively small package.”

One of the major talking points is the exceptional thermal limit rating, which is made possible by the integrated fan in the motor interface. The fan aspirates air radially, accelerates it and generates a cooling stream of air with a high flow rate.

“The SEW P2.e is the only planetary gear unit on the market with an integrated fan coupled directly between the motor and the planetary head. Consequently, it boasts a large cooling area (two to four times larger than some of the competitor offerings in this size class) – a condition which is central to the high thermal limit rating. Despite its high power density, the SEW P2.e series therefore boasts a best-in-class thermal limit rating,” explains McKey.

Reduced weight is another major benefit of going the SEW P2.e route. With its lightweight gear unit design, the SEW P2.e is 24% lighter and 10% shorter in length compared with some of the same-sized units on the market.

Given its nearly century experience in developing and constructing gear units for numerous customer applications, SEW-EURODRIVE has over the years amassed vast tribological expertise. Based on this and the results of long-term testing, the company has developed a special formulation for its premium gear unit lubricants.

“By using our premium gear unit lubricants, end users have peace of mind that their investments are protected, as a high level of resistance to ageing reduces wear and increases the service life. Customers can expect up to 50% longer service intervals and a long shelf life of up six years if they are using the special SEW-EURODRIVE approved lubricants and implementing appropriate maintenance conditions,” concludes McKey.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Yokogawa digital plant to accelerate green hydrogen revolution
Yokogawa South Africa Editor's Choice Electrical Power & Protection IT in Manufacturing
Yokogawa explains how a digital plant approach and autonomous operations can integrate the full green hydrogen value chain, from renewable power generation to end-use applications, and why digitalisation and system integration are central to making green hydrogen viable in South Africa.

Read more...
Inclination sensors for motion control
ifm - South Africa Sensors & Transducers Motion Control & Drives
The JBC dynamic inclination sensor from ifm offers accurate angle measurement in the most demanding conditions, filtering out motion disturbances such as vibrations, shocks and vehicle dynamics to deliver reliable inclination values via IO-Link or programmable switch outputs.

Read more...
Next-generation autonomous mobile robots from Omron Robotics
Omron Electronics Editor's Choice
The new LD-150 and LD-300 autonomous mobile robots from Omron Robotics offer higher payload capacity and advanced navigation in a compact footprint, with wireless inductive charging and fleet management integration to support high-throughput material transport in demanding production environments.

Read more...
ElectroMechanica reintroduces TechTop to Southern Africa
ElectroMechanica Editor's Choice
ElectroMechanica has officially restored a vital pillar of the southern African motor market, announcing its appointment as the exclusive SADC-wide agent for TechTop.

Read more...
DriveRadar and AI provide smarter maintenance in tough mining conditions
SEW-EURODRIVE Editor's Choice
SEW-EURODRIVE’s DriveRadar system has already embedded AI into predictive maintenance for African mining operations. Jonathan McKey explains how the system monitors external conditions, interprets data and tells operators exactly how much longer a drive can run safely before intervention becomes necessary.

Read more...
Engineering simplicity: shaping the future of valve automation
Festo South Africa Editor's Choice Valves, Actuators & Pump Control
Festo’s VTOP pneumatic assembly offers a streamlined approach to managing pneumatic and electrical interfaces at the valve assembly.

Read more...
XTS for highly efficient end-of-line packaging of beverage bottles
Beckhoff Automation Editor's Choice
Italian machine builder Clevertech used Beckhoff’s XTS linear transport system to help a Dutch distillery double its bottle packaging throughput to 225 bottles per minute while cutting format changeover times from 30 minutes to just seven.

Read more...
Control systems, remote monitoring and human skills in the food sector
Editor's Choice Industrial Wireless
The convergence of specialist skills and advanced technology is becoming critical, a trend underscored by two recent projects completed by Associated Energy Services in the food manufacturing sector.

Read more...
Motion control for flight simulators
Beckhoff Automation Editor's Choice Motion Control & Drives
Turkish specialist, SANLAB is a leader in motion platforms and simulation technologies. At the heart of these platforms are application-specific servo drives, servomotors and industrial PCs for real-time control, which are supplied by Beckhoff.

Read more...
Conductivity sensing as a cornerstone of South Africa’s water smart industry
ifm - South Africa Editor's Choice Sensors & Transducers
South Africa’s engineers operate at the intersection of resource constraint and industrial ambition. Few parameters illustrate this balancing act as clearly as water quality. Whether in municipal treatment works, food and beverage plants or mining operations, the ability to measure water quality accurately and continuously has become non-negotiable.

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