Electricity and Control May 2023

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR

90 years of experience in developing and building gear units, the company has considerable expertise in tribology – the study of friction, lubrication and wear. Last year, it launched GearFluid Poly 220 E1, the first CO 2 -reduced gear unit lubricant made from sustainable biomass – rather than from petroleum or other fossil- fuel raw materials. “This improves the carbon footprint of the gear fluid by 84% compared to petroleum-based polyglycol base oils. The bio mass we have developed does not even need to be specially produced, and it takes up no additional agricultural land. The biomass comes from green cuttings and food waste, which is readily available and can now be easily recycled,” says Blickle. The biowaste is transformed, through a complex synthesis process, into a high-quality base oil. The packaging has also been designed with sustainability in mind, so there is 25% recy cled plastic in the cannisters for the oil. Sustainable service SEW-EURODRIVE’s holistic focus on sustainability extends to the service side of its business – requiring that its products should always be designed to be as maintenance-friendly and repair-friendly as possible. An example of this is in its gear units and gear motors, which can be disassembled non-destructive ly and then reassembled again once faulty or worn parts have

been replaced. The maintenance-friendly connection between SEW-EURODRIVE’s gear units and motors is made with a pinion shaft that has a key and a mounted pinion with a corresponding slot. Unlike connections with crimped pinions, this connection can be disassembled without destroying the parts. Any neces sary repairs can be carried out at the customer’s premises or in one of SEW-EURODRIVE’s service centres. Extending the service life of existing products also means hav ing all individual components available worldwide for decades – to avoid unnecessarily using resources on new equipment. The company’s Life Cycle Services are the next logical step in this strategy. The services are based on the concept of a holistic, closed loop that covers a product’s entire service lifespan while in use with the customer. With a dedicated contact, each cus tomer receives the best available expertise and advice on their drive technology. In conclusion, Blickle emphasises how SEW-EURODRIVE works with dedicated people to ensure the company is focused on people and on the future of humankind. “Maintaining and pro tecting the very basis of our existence – that is what sustainability means and that is what drives us at SEW‑EURODRIVE,” he says. □

For more information visit: www.sew-eurodrive.co.za

MAY 2023 Electricity + Control

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