SEW-EURODRIVE is showcasing its new local product offerings at Electra Mining Africa 2024 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre this week. The expansion is part of the company’s strategy to “close the loop” in its product range with a diverse range of planetary gearboxes, automation and sustainability solutions.

The newest additions include the SEW PPK and SEW P2.e series of planetary gear units designed to provide customers with a compact solution for confined spaces as well as high-torque and low-speed outputs. The SEW PPK series offers 10-18 kNm of torque with a ratio range from 65:1-390:1 while the SEW P2.e series includes torque ratings from 24-124 kNm with ratios from 15.2:1-332:1.

“The PPK series was originally developed in Brazil to serve the sugar sector. Our design and engineering experts in Germany leveraged these advances when they developed the SEW P2.e series aimed at larger applications,” said Jonathan McKey, National Sales and Marketing Manager.

The SEW PPK meets the need for lower torque requirements and is well-suited to southern hemisphere markets, McKey explained. The gear ratio can be further reduced by adding a primary reducer before the planetary head, allowing for ratios up to 10 650: 1 resulting in a significantly lower speed capability

The SEW P2.e offers a wider range of speed, up to 100 rpm, as well as variation in ratio and torque. Additionally, it can be supplied in a two-stage model unlike most planetary gearboxes, which have a three-stage design. The company has been careful to retain the same dimensions as previous SEW P-series models, allowing customers to migrate to the more versatile SEW P2.e units.

Planetary gearboxes from SEW-EURODRIVE are commonly used in mining applications such as clarifiers, thickeners and apron feeders as well as agriculture (notably in sugar mills). McKey emphasised the reduced weight of these new units, compared to traditional technologies, which can reduce strain on system components and maintenance.

Sustainability and automation

SEW-EURODRIVE is also showcasing its new ECO2 geared motors, which feature a coating-free design aimed at improving efficiency and reliability in environments with high humidity and extreme temperatures (operating in temperatures ranging between minus 20-60°C). The aluminium construction reacts with oxygen to form a thin protective layer. “There is no maintenance, they are corrosion-free and there is no need to respray them,” McKey said. The ECO2 design also meets the requirements of ISO 12944 corrosive category 1.

McKey also highlighted the launch of SEW-EURODRIVE’s Gear Fluid product. “The lubricant enhances a product’s performance by reducing the need for oil change. It is also the first lubricant on the market to be made entirely from sustainable biomass.”

On the automation front, SEW-EURODRIVE is showcasing its SEW MOVI-C drive technology, a modular system designed for integration and high performance across various industrial applications.

In applications such as hoisting, MOVI-C enables the use of regenerative power from braking. This energy can be either fed back into the system or stored in battery packs. The MOVILINK digital data interface connects the drive train to the data system through a unique 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,” said Willem Strydom, Manager of Business Development Electronics.