Electricity + Control July 2018

round up

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR

Driving innovation in the food and beverage industry

The AsepticDrive™ from Bauer Gear Motor, distributed locally by Bearings International (BI), is an asynchronous motor with a basic design that does away with a fan and cooling ribs. As a result, its entirely smooth outer casing makes it ideal for the strict hygiene requirements of the food and beverage industry. In addition, the outer casing is sealed with a matching non-drive end shield. A standard feature is a stainless-steel round connector, itself with a smooth surface, that allows for quick and simple motor connection. This connector contains not only the motor contacts, but also those of the thermistors. The AsepticDrive™ can be fitted easily onto any gear in the BG, BF, BK, or BS Series, which trans- lates into maximum flexibility in terms of design requirements. Production areas in the food and beverage industry have special requirements in terms of hygiene and cleaning due to the perisha- ble nature of the products, BI Business Unit Head Ross Trevelyan notes. Therefore most equipment is made from stainless steel to allow for thorough cleaning. Stainless steel also means that acid- or alkali-based cleaning agents can be used in combination with disin- VSD for Zambian copper mine When a major copper mine in Zambia required a 110 kWVariable Speed Drive (VSD) urgently for a slurry application, it turned to SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, which was not only able to sup- ply the unit on a fast-track basis over the Christmas 2017 period, but also assisted with on-site commissioning. Since it was the first time that SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa had supplied this mine with a VSD, the company decided to go the extra mile by dispatching an electronics field service technician to site to assist with the commissioning and set-up. It also provided basic opera- tor training as part of its support service. A particular advantage of the VSD is that the mine did not have to upgrade its control system in order to have it connected and up-and-running as soon as possible. Changing-out a VSD is not as simple a process as changing a motor, but the modularity and ease-of-use of our products makes this a quick and efficient procedure. This is a clear example of where our class-leading technology gives us a leading edge in the market. A major advantage in this regard is the company’s Exports Department, which facilitates cross-border projects such as the one in the Zambian Copperbelt.The back-up and support service offered by the SEW Exports Department is crucial, especially as we cannot be on-site constantly. However, the necessary

fectants, thereby ensuring that all bacteria and germs are destroyed. With gear motors, however ― which are generally mounted directly onto the machines – it has not been possible to meet these strict requirements in the past. This has mainly been due to the design of the housing structure. Inaccessible dirt concealed in the fans and cooling ribs resulted in recontamination of the production machinery. Enquiries:Tel. +27 (0) 11 899 0000 or email info@bearings.co.za

support structure is in place, and we do conduct regular in-country visits. The success of this project not only increases SEW’s installed base in the Zambian Copperbelt itself, but further entrenches the company as a supplier of solutions that make for the lowest total cost of ownership. Enquiries: Jana Klut. Email: jklut@sew.co.za

Electricity + Control

JULY 2018

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