SEW-EURODRIVE, a manufacturer of gear units, motors, electric motors and inverter technology, has supported a mining operation in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province by utilising its MOVI-C technology
The mining operation turned to SEW-EURODRIVE after experiencing a failure of one of its high-torque conveyor planetary gearboxes. The company, already having a strong relationship with the mine and providing most of its power transmission items, was tasked with replacing only one of the two gearboxes driving the conveyor's 4-metre diameter head pulley.
According to Greg Lewis, business development manager projects at SEW-EURODRIVE, this posed a challenge in ensuring the new gearbox matched the speed and torque of its counterpart precisely, as any variation could lead to catastrophic failure given the high torque involved. The company successfully matched their unit with the existing one, overcoming a minute difference in ratios that could have significant impact due to the high torque levels involved.
SEW-EURODRIVE's innovative approach utilised their MOVI-C technology in a novel way, ensuring the new gearbox matched the torque of the original and synchronised perfectly with it. A unique aspect of the project was the creation of a small-scale working mock-up, demonstrating the solution's effectiveness to the customer. This mock-up, also showcased at the 2022 Electra Mining Africa event in South Africa, proved so instructive that it garnered international interest within the company.
The project involved a comprehensive solution including custom panels, electronics, and installation of the XP planetary gearbox combined with an X-series gearbox for further reduction. Designed to fit onto the existing concrete foundation without modifications, the considerable scale of the gearbox (about 6 tons in weight, 1.7 metres in height, and measuring 2.1 metres in both width and length) moves the steel belt at 0.07 rpm.
This achievement demonstrated SEW-EURODRIVE's capability to match another manufacturer's footprint thereby avoiding structural alterations and highlighted its expertise in catering to unique requirements through extensive on-site engagement and collaboration across global teams. Moreover, the electronics in the solution pave the way for future enhancements in safety and operational monitoring, with SEW-EURODRIVE's commitment to ongoing support through their service technicians and experts in various engineering disciplines. The success of this project has led to the possibility of similar replacements in other plants of the mining company.
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