A greater selection of planetary drives has been introduced into South Africa and includes SEW-EURODRIVE’s SEW PPK series and the SEW P2.e series of planetary gear units.

SEW-EURODRIVE company’s national sales and marketing manager Jonathan McKey emphasises that both series built on the benefits of planetary gear units, namely a compact solution for space-constrained conditions, alongside high torque and low speed outputs. The SEW PPK series delivers 10  kNm to 18 kNm of torque with a ratio range from 65:1 to 390:1, while the SEW P2.e series encompasses torque ratings from 24 kNm to 124 kNm with ratios from 15.2:1 to 332:1.

“The SEW PPK satisfies the need for a lower torque requirement, and is well suited to southern hemisphere markets,” explains McKey. The ratio can be further reduced by the addition of a primary reducer before the planetary head, to reach ratios up to 10.650:1 – for a much lower speed capability.

The SEW P2.e was developed with all these benefits while also offering a broader spectrum of diversity in its speed – up to 100 rpm – as well as in ratio and torque, he says. While most planetary gearboxes have a three-stage design, the SEW P2.e can also be supplied in a two-stage model.

SEW-EURODRIVE business development manager for projects Greg Lewis points out that the company has retained the same critical dimensions as previous SEW P-series models to allow seamless migration to SEW P2.e units without the need to alter existing operating environments or infrastructure.

Among the common applications in the mining sector for planetary gearboxes, says Lewis, are clarifiers, thickeners and apron feeders. Other industrial applications include slewing drives, screw feeders and wood panel presses.

“In the agricultural sector, sugar mills are big users of planetary units,” he says. “The SEW PPK series, arising as it did to serve the needs of sugar mills in Brazil, has exciting opportunities for application in African countries.”

Another advantage of the planetary ranges is their reduced weight compared to traditional technologies, says McKey.

“A sugar mill’s crystalliser, for example, will conventionally have a multi-gear solution which applies considerable weight and strain on the system,” he explains. “A compact planetary unit from SEW-EURODRIVE can now deliver the same results with much less weight – within an integrated design. The benefits are also felt in less wear on components like bearings and the civils structures, which leads to less maintenance being required.”

Included in SEW-EURODRIVE’s range of new products is its ECO2 geared motors, designed with a focus on sustainability and the growing demand for products that are more environment friendly in their manufacturing process. The range boasts a coating-free design, so there are no solvents or coatings used on the outer surfaces and the aluminium construction reacts with oxygen to form a thin protective layer. This makes the units particularly suited for use in indoor applications where humidity levels can reach 60%, and they are designed to operate in temperatures between minus 20 °C and 60 °C. The ECO2 design also meets the requirements of ISO 12944 corrosive category 1.

On the automation side, the company’s SEW MOVI-C drive technology is described as a comprehensive modular automation system designed to provide seamless integration and high performance for various industrial applications.

SEW-EURODRIVE manager business development electronics Willem Strydom points to applications such as hoisting where MOVI-C facilitates the use of regenerative power from braking and this energy can be fed back into the system or stored in battery packs. The MOVILINK digital data interface connects the drive train into the data system through a single hybrid cable solution.

“This further allows customers to receive real-time information on a range of indices, such as energy efficiency, application performance and condition monitoring,” he says.