MechChem Africa January 2017

⎪ Power transmission, bearings, bushes and seals ⎪

Left: According to Blickle, the bulk of SEW-Eurodrive’s regional turnover is still generated by the mining and minerals-processing industry. Shown here are the company’s X series helical and bevel helical gear units at the Johannesburg assembly facility. Right: A cement plant in Zambia sup- plied by SEW-Eurodrive with geared motor solutions.

bly facility has invested significantly in install- ing the latest assembly islands to streamline productionand reducewaste, anupgrade that will be carried through to the local branches in Nelspruit, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town. Elsewhere on the continent, the OEM has just established an assembly facility in Morocco, with representation in a range of countries including Tanzania andDubai in the Middle East. It also has various partnerships

on the continent, including Tunisia andEgypt, whereby the OEMundertakes to service and support all of its products sold. Blickle says that the ongoing success of SEW-Eurodrive is largely due to the fact that, although it is a multinational company, “we tend to do business like a family, and we feel like a family. I think that is unique, with not many other companies able to lay claim to a similar ethos underpinning their global organisation”.

This means that regional hubs, such as the Johannesburg head office, continue to play an integral role in the OEM’s growth and expansion and focus on innovation. “Each country and its facilities are equally important to us, especially as these mirror the spirit of SEW-Eurodrive. This alsomeans that our regional experience and knowledge of local conditions and specific customer is- sues gives us a leading edge internationally,” Blickle concludes. q

January 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 15