MechChem Africa November-December 2023

⎪ Power transmission, bearings, bushes and seals ⎪

etary roller drives can be driven by hydraulic or electric motors. They have high overload capacity, good torque control and can ac commodate shock loads up to 2 000 000 Nm. Associated ACU frequency inverters are available in the power range of 0.37 to 1 200 kW with a host of control and safety features. BX-Series asynchronous IE3 motors are generally preferred, and in terms of power, up to 355 kW can be accommodated. Flanging machines for the manufacture of dished and flanged ends for tanks and pres sure vessels are also accommodated. These machines require high performance to deliver maximum reliability and to achieve tolerance and lamination reduction requirements. Starting from circular plates of different thicknesses, flanging machines press/beat the plate repeatedly with specific tools to obtain a dished shape by cold forming. The final step in completing a dished end is to form the edge so that it is suitable for the circumferential seam weld that joins it to the cylindrical section. Bonfiglioli mechatronics solutions for operating the flanging drive for forming these ends include the 300-Series planetary flang ing drive or the HDP Series flanging drive, both of which can be coupled to a BX-Series asynchronous electric motors powered by an ACU. Wire drawing is another metal working process. It reduces the cross section of the wire by pulling it through a series of dies. A type of forging process, drawing can be per formed at hot, warm, or cold temperatures. Bonfiglioli offers purpose designed drum drives for this process, which can be based on its 300 Series planetary or parallel shaft HDP Series drum drives. In addition, for cable extrusion and strand ing, Bonfiglioli offers pulling capstan drives that can synchronise line and winding speeds. These are available using combined planetary/ helical bevel gear units from the 3/H Series pulling capstan drive range. With nominal torque levels of up to 1 300 000 Nm, these offer extremely high transmissible torque and power, making them suitable for very heavy-duty applications. Here, speed control and power can be delivered by an Active Cube inverter and a BX HD Series motor. In the heavy-duty metal forming indus tries, self-aligning roller beds are used for positioning and rotating large cylindrical structures in order to perform operations such as welding. The rotation of the structures is driven by ac-geared motors under variable speed control. Bonfiglioli supplies a wide range of plan etary, helical parallel and helical bevel gear motors and controls that are ideal for these roller beds, providing the highest level of performances for different machine capacity in the most arduous conditions. The company

has a range of self-roller drives, from the 300-Series planetary drive range, as well as from the A-Series helical bevel and F-Series parallel gearmo

tors, which can incorporate BX-Series IE3 motors pow ered by ACUs. Hot metal processing

An F-Series parallel shaft gearmotor for delivering perfect bend shape and finish on a crowning axis.

is performed by different types of furnaces – reheat ing furnaces, heat treatment furnaces and furnaces for hot rolling mills – which produce billets, blooms, or slabs. These require motion and control solutions for hot roller table conveyors and for opening and closing furnace doors. These applications require solutions designed for harsh temperature conditions. Bonfiglioli’s 300M-Series gives the flexibility to drive the input and output shafts of roller table conveyors. When coupled to an IE4 BSR synchronous reluctance motor, forced venti lation is not required at low operating speed, while accurate speed and torque control is possible when the motor is combined with an ACU drive – even in open loop operation. Bonfiglioli hot metal solutions are the best in class in terms of meantime before failure and they suit the needs of continuous opera tions. In addition, reliability can be improved and unplanned downtime minimised thanks to condition monitoring solutions from the company’s IOT platform and sensors. Hot metal roller drives are available for the roller tables, which are fundamental in steel

handle the tipping function, two gearmotors are used controlled by a single ACU. The system can deliver smooth payload handling thanks to dedicated S-ramp and anti-sloshing func

tions embedded in the controller. Many years of experience in developing mechatronic solutions for the metalworking industries has given Bonfiglioli the flexibility to combine its extensive range into machines with the tightest installation spaces. The com pany can provide optimised drive and control solutions for light, complex and heavy-duty metalworking applications, all with a view to improving performance, extending lifetimes, and saving on installation and operating costs. Most notably, these and all Bonfiglioli’s mechatronic solutions for the metalworking industries are easy to retrofit onto existing machines that require upgrading, which is sure to improve durability and reduce mainte nance requirements compared to traditional solutions. www.bonfiglioli.com/south_africa

production plants to transport the material to the different process stations. These rollers are commonly driven by elec trical gearmotors, which can be directly connected to the roller shaft: one gearmotor for every roller; or one gearmotor driving a few rollers through gear and chain transmissions. Output speed can be varied according to the process phase or to the material weight. Heavier material will have lower speed, so a wide range of motor speed options is fundamental. Bonfiglioli of fers a wide product portfolio of optimised solutions for drives and controls with speed adjustment to match mate rial handling and weight and specifications. On the foundry side, ladle transfer cars with different shapes and capacities are used to transport molten metals. To

Hot metal roller drives are available for the roller tables, which are fundamental in steel production plants.

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