Modern Mining February 2024

designed and delivered by SEW-EURODRIVE as a complete solution – from the fully customisable panels to the electronics and the installation of the gearbox. The installed unit is an XP planetary gear box with shrink disk, with a primary X-series gearbox as a further reduction unit to achieve the required ratio. “We engineered the steel base to fit onto the existing concrete foundation without any modifica tions required from the customer’s side,” he says. The significance of the project is enhanced by the considerable scale of its elements. At about 1,7 m in height – and measuring 2,1 m wide and long – the gearbox itself is sizeable, weighing about 6 t. Moving at 0,07 rpm, it moves the steel belt that carries a fine cake of raw chrome material. “There are not many companies who can pro duce a solution to meet these very slow revolutions,” Lewis says. “Being among those who can is a source of great pride for us. This project has been particu larly rewarding as it demonstrates our capability in matching another footprint, eliminating the need for the customer to break down existing structures and build new ones.” Lewis highlights the assurance that SEW EURODRIVE can give the mine in terms of support, as the company has long been an established presence

in the sector and the country. The customer was so happy with this creative solution that its other plants may well be looking at similar replacements in the coming years. 

A South African mine has received a world first planetary gearbox customisation from SEW EURODRIVE.

February 2024  MODERN MINING  29