Two new ranges of planetary gearbox solutions are now available to the South African and African markets, both of which are said to be particularly suited the local business environment.

SEW-EURODRIVE has added the SEW PPK and SEW P2.e series to its offerings, noting that the solutions complement each other in terms of size, torque and speed.

“Being part of a well-established global business, we are drawing increasingly from the group’s production plants in various parts of the world,” says SEW-EURODRIVE national sales and marketing manager Jonathan McKey. “This approach allows us to select products that have been tried and tested in sectors relevant to our own, and under operating conditions that are closely comparable.”

The SEW PPK planetary gearbox range was originally designed and produced by the company in Brazil, with the country’s sugar industry as a key user.

“The depth of research and development capability with the group allowed Brazil to develop the SEW PPK concept, to give their sugar mills access to a low torque solution which complies with SEW-EURODRIVE’s stringent global standards and specifications,” says McKey. “Later, engineers in Germany additionally developed the SEW P2.e series for larger applications.”

He reiterates that planetary gear units are particularly valuable for those applications that require a compact solution in conditions where space is constrained, while also demanding high torque and low speed outputs.

“Our SEW PPK range is well suited to southern hemisphere markets, delivering 2 kNm to 18 kNm of torque with a ratio range from 65:1 to 10 700:1,” he says. “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 series encompasses higher torque ratings from 2 kNm to 124 kNm with ratios from 15.2:1 to 332:1. McKey explains that the solution was developed to include the benefits of the SEW PPK, but with a broader spectrum of diversity in its speed – up to 100 rpm – as well as in ratio and torque. While most planetary gearboxes have a three-stage design, the SEW P2.e can also be supplied in a two-stage model.

“What is exciting for local customers is that we have now brought a complementary range of both the SEW PPK and SEW P2.e to this market – giving a wide selection that will suit many new applications,” he says.

“We are the only manufacturer who allows for direct electric motor coupling to a planetary gearbox; this is unique to our SEW P2.e solution,” he points out. “Our units also accommodate radial labyrinth solutions, which many competitors do not. This provides an extra layer of protection for the sealing systems on the output shaft – a valuable feature in corrosive and dusty environments like mining.”

SEW-EURODRIVE sales manager Greg Lewis says customers are able to upgrade from previous P-series models of planetary gearboxes to the new SEW P2.e, without altering their existing infrastructure. Lewis points out that the SEW P2.e is one of the only planetaries available with a cooling solution, positioned between the planetary and the motor.

“By adding a fan on the input side to further cool the gearbox, we can considerably enhance its thermal capabilities,” he says.

Lewis notes that, while the SEW P2.e units have directly mounted motors, the SEW PPK offers different options for coupling existing motors using the AD adaptor with input shaft or the AMS adaptor for the flange mounted motor.