Making its debut appearance at NAMPO Cape in Bredasdorp this year, geared motor specialist SEW-EURODRIVE is all set to excite the farming community with even more solutions to drive productivity and efficiency.

From its firm footprint in the agricultural sector – through packhouses and bottling facilities countrywide – SEW-EURODRIVE now takes its offerings onto the lands, for instance, with its quality gear units for centre pivots. Jonathan McKey, National Sales and Marketing Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE, says this is part of its continuous innovation to give farmers more energy efficient solutions for streamlined and automated operations.

“Our classic 7 Series geared motors have for many years proudly served the farming industry – in various packhouse applications including conveyors, sorters and box packaging lines,” says McKey. “These solutions have long been fitted with premium efficiency IE3 motors – which are also available as non-integral units – delivering considerable savings in energy costs.”

Variable speed drive (VSD) technology allows for further efficiency and even the finetuning of production lines to suit the pace of demand.

“As part of modernising packhouse facilities, VSDs allow solutions to be tailored to a changing production pattern,” he says. “Another opportunity for greater efficiency is our ECDriveS® drive system for roller conveyors in light duty materials handling.”

McKey emphasises the work SEW-EURODRIVE has done in ‘closing the loop’ to meet more of the drive requirements in farming. The company now supplies, installs and services the centre drive and wheel drives for pivot irrigation systems – as well as the drive technology to power them.

“These solutions have been popular on farms in Brazil since the 1980s,” he explains. “Similarities with South African conditions show that this offering will add value locally too.”

Aligning to the shaft sizes and flange connections on existing centre pivot irrigation equipment, SEW-EURODIVE provides a ‘plug and play’ solution of gearing, casing and motor. The concept is also more cost effective and sustainable, as the company will service and repair the drive systems – not just replace them.

Underpinning the performance customers demand, SEW-EURODRIVE’s product quality and support means that the systems achieve the highest levels of uptime. The company’s extensive national service footprint and decentralised stocking policy means that servicing and parts are quickly available to customers within a matter of hours.

“Every key agricultural region is well served by our comprehensively stocked facilities in Cape Town, Nelspruit and Gqeberha for current products as well it be for the pivot solution,” he says. “We appreciate that agricultural products are sensitive to time and delay, so we help ensure minimal downtime.”

McKey says SEW-EURODRIVE also recognises the importance of sustainability principles in agriculture, and builds this approach into its designs. The high performance ECO2 geared motor, for example, is made from uncoated aluminium, which forms a thin protective layer in contact with oxygen. With no coating or solvent on the surface, the result is more cost effective, environmentally friendly and easier to recycle.

The company has even developed its own premium lubricants, based on its decades of field experience. These boost operational performance by reducing friction between gear wheels, and extend the life of sealing rings. These innovations are ideal for applications in the food and beverages industry as well.

“Visit us at Stand T6 at NAMPO Cape in Bredasdorp,” says McKey. “We also look forward to talking to visitors about their aspirations to modernise their facilities, as we can walk this journey with them.”