With its roots in Europe, which is leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution, drive technology and automation specialist SEW-EURODRIVE has the necessary experience to meet the growing demand for automation and digitalisation solutions from sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA’s) printing and packaging industries.

“There’s currently a significantly high demand and we’ve seen a good positive move over the past few years, especially with our new MOVI-C modular automation system. Demand for automation and digitalisation is considerable now and, because our research and development (R&D) department is in Germany, we are well-prepared to meet the local demand,” says SEW-EURODRIVE electronics business development manager Willem Strydom.

The company is readying to participate in packaging industry tradeshow Propak Africa 2025 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre from March 11 to 14. SEW-EURODRIVE will have a large range of products on display, focusing on its MOVI-C modular automation system and automation products.

SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa services 23 countries in SSA at present.

The company has seen a significant uptick in demand related to bottling lines in the food and beverage industry, securing contracts to standardise operations with SEW-EURODRIVE products in 13 of the 23 SSA countries it services.

For example, SEW-EURODRIVE recently upgraded a plant using conventional geared motors with more efficient MOVIGEAR mechatronic drive systems, significantly simplifying the operation’s spares requirements.

“We replaced the complete production line, comprising 88 units and almost 40 conventional geared motor variants, with two different MOVIGEARS,” explains Strydom.

SEW-EURODRIVE’s new MOVIGEAR is an IE5 efficient solution that has already been adopted by several players in the South African food and beverage market. This exceeds the requirements of government’s minimum energy performance standards for electric motors, which will enforce the use of IE3 motors as the lowest requirement once implemented in mid-2025.

“We will also be showcasing our digital data interface (DDI) technology at Propak Africa, which simplifies installation and gives access to condition monitoring. The DDI model sits inside your motor, negating the need for any additional external sensors. This technology also uses only one cable and offers much more functionality and real-time feedback compared with conventional motors, which use three different cables on a typical installation,” elaborates Strydom.

Customers can monitor aspects such as vibration, temperature and the condition of gear box oil and the brake lining on a motor. Push notifications are sent using WhatsApp or email if there is an issue, before there is a visible or audible problem with a unit or a catastrophic failure, encouraging preventive maintenance, he adds.

The modular design of SEW-EURODRIVE’s products also aids its clients’ sustainability goals.

“All our gears are interchangeable between our different geared motor ranges, as well as compatible with a customer’s existing equipment and systems. The same can be said for our electronic com- ponents. We have many common spare parts designed specifically to reduce our carbon emissions and enable a more efficient production line, which, in the end, transfers to the customer,” states Strydom.

For example, when replacing the 88 units on the bottling line in SSA, SEW-EURODRIVE conducted a complimentary energy assessment on the existing installation of conventional geared motors. Thereafter the company installed one of its own units and conducted another assessment under the same conditions. The results revealed a 38% power saving, with the client achieving return on investment in less than one year.

Finger on the Pulse

SEW-EURODRIVE ensures that its technologies are aligned with the key industry trends through its R&D department that has in excess of 300 engineers focused on continuously staying ahead of the curve.

“Two or three times a year, all our global partners, which span 56 countries, meet to discuss the struggles and demands of their markets. This feedback is used to inform product development. Our MD is on the global steering committee responsible for the development of new products, [resulting in] a lot of input from the African market,” shares Strydom.

While he says Africa’s demands and challenges are mostly similar to the rest of the world, Strydom admits that the continent does demand a more robust product offering.

“We service many remote areas and our customers, which operate in harsh conditions that are demanding on equipment, can’t afford to keep large stockholdings of spare parts or wait two weeks for spares to be delivered. SEW-EURODRIVE’s use of common spares helps our customers to not only reduce their stockholding but also the associated capital expenditure, limit[ing] downtime in the process.”

Further, the modularity of SEW-EURODRIVE’s designs is highly advantageous, allowing the company to assemble solutions according to a customer’s specific requirements as well as providing the flexibility to easily expand that customer’s operation when the time comes.

The company has an extensive footprint in Africa and from South Africa offers the largest stockholding in the motors and drives industry on the continent.

“Thereby, we can assure the fastest lead times compared with our competitors. We have complete teams of mechanical and electronic electrical technicians available 24/7, who are ready to travel into Africa weekly to assist customers,” adds Strydom.

The company has also invested in development of a new 17 000 m² service and repair centre next to its headquarters in Aeroton, Johannesburg.

“This new facility will cater for everything from motor rewinding to complete repairs of not only our products but also our opposition’s products. Our Drive Academy training centre will also move to the new facility and probably triple in size, offering free training to any customer in addition to training our own staff,” concludes Strydom.