With its comprehensive support of the mining sector through commodity-specific drivetrain solutions, motors and drives supplier SEW-EURODRIVE has cemented its reputation as a trusted partner to the industry, says national sales and marketing manager Jonathan McKey.

“Twenty years ago, we secured our first major power pack contract for a platinum mine in Limpopo,” McKey recalls, noting that the project “marked the beginning” of SEW-EURODRIVE’s involvement in mining. “Today our gearboxes, motors and coupling combinations are operating in almost every mining environment across the continent.”

From precious metals to coal and copper, SEWEURODRIVE’s engineered drivetrain solutions have become integral to mission-critical applications, underscoring its strong track record and ongoing commitment to the African mining sector.

“As in every industry we serve, the success of our power packs lies in a systematic, responsible approach that begins with a clear understanding of what the customer really needs.

“We don’t just develop application-specific solutions – we take it a step further by building a sustainable, cost-effective supply chain and long-term support ecosystem to back those solutions well into the future,” McKey explains.

He notes that SEWEURODRIVE takes a deliberate and strategic approach when entering new sectors, ensuring that each move is carefully planned, focused and sustainable.

“It is about understanding the landscape before we enter – not just from a technical standpoint, but also from a long-term support and capacity perspective.”

With mining, the company’s journey began in the platinum sector, where SEWEURODRIVE developed gearbox solutions specifically engineered for the prevailing conditions on site.

“It was vital to understand the gear ratios, power requirements and velocities commonly used in platinum operations. “That insight allowed us to rapidly grow our footprint in that segment, expanding into neighbouring operations and quickly growing our customer base. From there, we moved into chrome mining,” explains McKey.

As SEWEURODRIVE expanded into new mineral commodities, it applied the same principle – understand the application, then develop fit-for-purpose drivetrain systems.

In chrome, this meant developing new gear ratios and power ratings for its power packs. When coal mining became the next target segment, the unique characteristics of that environment called for yet another redesign, this time with lighter material and faster conveyor speeds necessitating adapted solutions.

“Today, we are arguably the dominant force in mining across Africa when it comes to industrial gearbox solutions. That position wasn’t built overnight. “It was the result of a highly informed, step-by-step expansion that has seen the company entering each commodity with a clear operational plan and investing heavily in building our local capacity to support it.”

That investment began with local assembly, first introduced at SEWEURODRIVE’s Nelspruit facility in 2006. Over time, this evolved into a significantly expanded local production and warehousing operation at the company’s head office in Aeroton, Johannesburg, where a Phase 2 expansion is now nearing completion.

Service and technical support have always been at the heart of SEWEURODRIVE’s value proposition, and the mining sector was no exception.

“We knew early on that delivering quality products wasn’t enough – we had to match that with world class after-sales service. That meant upskilling local service teams and embedding our global standards into everything we did on the ground.”

Alongside new designs, local assembly and upscaled stockholding, SEWEURODRIVE brought in and trained additional service staff.

“We never enter a sector lightly. When we commit, we invest. This ensures that every customer is fully supported across the entire lifecycle of their equipment. Today, SEWEURODRIVE is not only a trusted partner for electromechanical drive solutions, but is also helping customers embrace smart mining with the introduction of automation and digital control technology,” McKey says.

He adds that the traditional combination of motor, gearbox and fluid coupling for controlled startup is evolving, as customers want flexible drive systems with precise speed control and the ability to adjust production rates on demand. He affirms that SEW-EURODRIVE’s technology meets these needs.

In addition to its core gearmotor offering, SEWEURODRIVE also provides full open gearing solutions for mills and other critical applications. This includes girth gears, main mill motors and gearboxes, pinions and related components; all of which can be manufactured and delivered quickly, offering a reliable drop-in replacement for competitor systems.