Electricity and Control May 2020

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

The housings can be constructed from a range of materials which affect the rigidity and weight of the overall design. An aluminium housing, for example, is much lighter than a grey cast-iron housing but delivers similar strength. For higher torques, cast iron is generally chosen due to the material being particularly torsion-resistant and able to dampen vibrations. In applications where intensive cleaning is regularly required – such as in the food and beverage sector – a smoother surface on the housing is preferred as it is easier to keep hygienic. De Jager notes that the most common types of gears used in industry today are in-line gears, and these will make up the majority of the box types for the local market. In-line gear units are the popular and reliable option for most slow-speed, high-torque applications. With its longer design, the in-line box is used where sufficient space is available. “For customers who have space constraints, the parallel shaft gear offers advantages,” he says. “With the input and output shafts being offset – but parallel – to each other, they provide a very compact, space-saving solution.” These are usually multi-stage helical gear units comprising a hollow output shaft that allows the gear to be mounted on an existing shaft. “For applications where the angle of the input and output axes is not a straight 180 degrees, bevel gear units serve this need,” he says. “In principle, any axis angle can be achieved with bevel gear wheels, but in most cases the input and output axes are at 90 degrees to each other.” Van Niekerk highlights the long established benefits Zest WEG offers customers in high service levels and ease of doing business. “Our flexibility and responsiveness to customers’ needs is what sets us apart, allowing us to introduce added lines of technology in the interests of productivity and uptime. Our branches will also have the capacity to support these geared motors with the same expertise and commitment they apply to our other products,” van Niekerk says.

For more information contact Zest WEG Group. Visit: www.zestweg.com

Zest WEG National Sales Executive, Johan van Niekerk.

Electricity + Control MAY 2020

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