Drive engineering company SEW-Eurodrive has made a drop-in service available for the African mining sector, whereby historically inefficient worm gear units can be replaced with modernised helical and helical bevel gearboxes.

The drop-in replacement service ensures that old, worn gearboxes are replaced with new ones that transmit higher torque but exactly match their predecessors in terms of external critical dimensions such as footprint and shaft diameters. The drop-in service enables mines to replace ageing gearboxes without incurring downtime or modifying infrastructure.

SEW-Eurodrive Africa business developer Satheesh Vellore says gearboxes can be refurbished about three times before having to be replaced. Yet, many mines will opt to refurbish old gearboxes many more times because the inefficiency costs incurred are more favourable than the costs of downtime and modifying existing infrastructure to accommodate a modern gearbox.

While the external dimensions are exactly the same as those of the old one, the internal mechanics are replaced with “state-of-the-art” SEW-Eurodrive gearbox technology for higher efficiency.

The service also enables mines to take advantage of the latest technological developments from SEW-Eurodrive, such as its X/M Series helical and helical bevel gearboxes. Some units are assembled in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, which allows for quick turnaround times and adequate stockholding.

“Another advantage is that the client is already familiar with the older unit, which means that specialised technicians or support is not required for the drop-in replacement,” Vellore says.

He adds that the latest X/M Series has been designed to deliver better power and torque.

Traditional worm gearbox designs are inherently inefficient, as their sliding arrangements make them only between 40% and 70% efficient, depending on their size and ratios, he explains.

By comparison, helical or bevel helical units are up to 99% efficient.

The drop-in replacement units can also cater for any competitor gearboxes.

Vellore explains that many local ageing mines require gearbox replacement, and SEW-Eurodrive believes that the service has much potential in the rest of Africa.

The drop-in service is also being offered to the cement industry and power utilities, with the company intending to expand to other industries,