A Greenfield coal mine in the Mpumalanga coalfields region has standardised on drives from SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. for its entire conveyor-belt system. This entailed a massive 27-unit order that was assembled at the OEM’s Nelspruit facility, and transported directly to site early this year.

The order consisted of a complete drive package in the form of a simple ‘bolt-on’ solution for the coal mine’s conveyor-belt system. This included the drives themselves, gearboxes, base plates, guards and, in one instance, an ancillary cooler.

The project was facilitated by the Projects Department of SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd., under the direction of Project Sales Representatives Brett Weinmann and Bruce Farthing. This specialist in-house department, which focuses on providing clients with complete solutions, has doubled in size in only a year.

Weinmann explains that the long-term aim of the Projects Department is to establish longstanding relationships with project houses in particular, who put their designs out to competitive tender. Thereafter it is the responsibility of Farthing, a qualified mechanical engineer, to come up with a solution best-suited for the application in hand, which is subsequently presented to the client for its approval.

“Our team is very dynamic in devising the best solutions for our clients. We really go out of our way to offer the best customer service and technical back-up,” Weinmann comments. “It is important to note that we do not simply supply products, but look closely at the holistic application itself.”

Due to the fact that this massive order had to be customised, an important part of the value-added service offering was overseeing that the required specifications were met, keeping in mind the strict delivery date. This was essential in giving the client peace of mind.

“We like to be on-site during this critical phase of any project in order to ensure that everything is according to specification and installed correctly. For example, we double check the oil levels and the alignment of the units, and are also present at the first cold start-up,” Weinmann notes.

Critical to the success of this project was the close working relationship forged with the project house, which resulted in SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. being afforded an extended lead time. “This not only allows us to iron out all of the technical specifications in advance, but is of great benefit to our sub-suppliers as well,” Farthing concludes.

Such was the success of the work undertaken that SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. has subsequently clinched another three cross-border projects with the same client, assisting in expanding its footprint in the African mining industry.