Gears and motors original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa has opened a new service and repair facility in Aeroton, Johannesburg, to provide customers with full gearbox servicing services, quicker turnaround times and stronger warranties.

With this facility and 65 additional incoming technical staff, SEW-EURODRIVE is the first gearbox OEM in South Africa offering service and repair, even for competitors’ products.

“The new service facility marks the end of an era in South Africa where industrial gearbox users would have to involve multiple service providers in a single repair and refurbishment contract,” says SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa MD Raymond Obermeyer.

He adds that customers can now have all aspects of their industrial gearboxes dealt with in one place and to the highest OEM quality standards. The expertise and equipment in the service centre enables the company to conduct all aspects of drivetrain repair, from the gearbox and coupling to the motor, to steelworks and electronics.

“The facility also allows us to offer unprecedented warranties on service work, giving the market peace of mind and enhanced uptime on their repaired and refurbished units,” Obermeyer explains.

For SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, the facility not only expands its offering to the market it operates in but also provides comprehensive control over the repair process and the results.

Previously, the company was often limited by the fact that other companies got involved on many service interventions prior to the product reaching SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, which did not allow SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa to take full responsibility for the workmanship on the products.

The group invested R385-million on the 17 000 m² facility, which forms part of a global SEW-EURODRIVE drive to strengthen service capabilities. SEW-EURODRIVE spent €1-billion in 2024 alone on 40 strategic projects at its plants worldwide.

The service centre facility follows SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa having upgraded its head office complex in Aeroton, in 2022, having invested R500-million on that 26 000 m² site.

Commenting on the opening of the service and repair facility, SEW-EURODRIVE group CEO Jürgen Blickle says the group remains committed to customers and partners in Africa, particularly as it aims to reach €7-billion in sales in seven years to mark SEW-EURODRIVE’s 100-year anniversary.

SEW-EURODRIVE has 17 production plants and 92 technology centres in 57 countries.

Meanwhile, the service and repair facility is being equipped with some of the most experienced skills in the local market, including engineering managers, field service engineers and artisans in specialised disciplines, who have been training at SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa’s in-house DriveAcademy.

The work of the new facility will include vibration analysis and diagnostic testing for motors and drives, including electric motors, as well as equipment for three-dimensional scanning and computer numerical control machining.

Obermeyer notes that winding machines will allow for motors to be rewound in-house and tested in line with world-class OEM standards.

The facility will also include a fabrication department, with SEW-EURODRIVE no longer needing to outsource fabrication of base plates, flanges, guards and other steelwork – this will further speed up turnaround times and ensure constant quality control.

“The breadth of our in-house services and engineering equipment at the SEW-EURODRIVE service and repair centres represents a significant investment in the re-industrialisation of the local economy – allowing customers to optimise the longevity and performance of their drive systems,” Obermeyer emphasises, adding that the investment also strengthens the group’s position as the leading industrial gearboxes and drives provider in Africa.

The new facility ultimately enables SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa to be self-sufficient in fabrication, assembly and repair, which enhances the company’s sustainability and market position.

Importantly, Obermeyer explains, the new facility will assemble planetary gearboxes, which allows SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa to enter new markets in the mining and sugar industries.

SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa plans to assemble gearboxes of up to 500 000 Nm from March next year, which will bring a new dimension to SEW-EURODRIVE’s gearbox product offerings.