In response to increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption in South Africa, drive engineering company SEW-Eurodrive will introduce its DRC energy efficient motor towards the end of this year, says electronics product manager Paul Strzalkowski.

The motor offers efficiency levels greater than those of International Efficiency 4 and can reduce energy consumption by up to 50%, he says.

It has a built-in on-board speed control, an overload capacity of 250%, a wide speed range with constant torque and is completely enclosed without a fan.

SEW-Eurodrive adds that the motor is available in 0.55 kW and 1.5 kW, with a 24 V dc built-in switch mode power supply to control drive electronics.

Further, the motor offers a safe torque-off integrated function, a high degree of protection and an optional mechanical brake, says Strzalkowski.

“The DRC motor is easy to install, easy to start up and suitable for various applications. It combines speed control, energy savings and a high starting torque,” he states.

Garon Foods Solution

SEW-Eurodrive states that cleanliness and hygienic operating conditions are critical in many industries, such as supermarket chains. The company offers assistance to these indus- tries with its DAS Aseptic motor and Movitrac MC LTEB ingress protection (IP)66.

Nonaseptic motors are fitted with fans and cooling fins and run the risk of particles, such as food, becoming trapped on the fan cowls and cooling fins, which can eventually lead to corrosion of the motor and ultimately to downtime and reduced efficiency, explains Strzalkowski.

SEW-Eurodrive supplied a DAS Aseptic motor to seafood delicatessen Garon Foods, in Cape Town, last year, as the company’s use of nonaseptic motors in clean and hygienic working areas caused motor parts to rust owing to the chemicals in the washing liquid and the chemical reaction between the residual fish pieces and the metals in the motor.

“These chemicals don’t distinguish between machinery parts and grime, and exposure to these chemicals, used for cleaning, can cause corrosion in the motors,” he explains.

The DAS Aseptic motor is resistant to corrosion because of its KS internal coating, as well as its OS2, OS3 and OS4 external protection. It is suitable for use in agitators and mixers, systems in nuclear power plants, port cranes, mining applications, mailing plants, sawmills and the pharmaceuticals industry.

Ingress protection 69K contour recesses with sprayed-on rubber, a pressure compensation membrane, a cable entry with screw plugs made of stainless steel, double Viton oil seals and motor protection are all benefits of the DAS Aseptic motor, states SEW-Eurodrive.

The DAS series comes with a smooth surface and without fans. This makes it suitable for hygienic production areas and offers resistance against chemicals, cleaning agents and disinfectants, as well as cleaning with water, says Strzalkowski.

In addition, the company also presented its Movitrac MC LTEB IP66 to Garon Foods in October last year to ensure better effi- ciency for machine operators.

As the conveyor in the seafood delicatessen’s despatch area conveys the items through a metal detector, the speeds need to be varied according to the size and type of product being moved.

SEW-Eurodrive was able to provide an off-the-shelf solution. The high IP rating of the Movitrac MC LTEB IP66 drive makes it resistant to the water and cleaning chemicals that are sprayed or splashed onto it.

Garon Foods’ original variable-speed drive controls were not easily accessible to the machine operator and they were not all IP66 rated.

“The Movitrac MC LTEB IP66 is wall mountable with all of the necessary speed controls, such as the mains power isolator, the forward, reverse and speed control potentiometer, mounted on board within easy access of the machine operator.

The drive is easy to connect, offers user-friendly handling and has a compact design, 14 basic parameters, an integrated keypad for parameter control or adjustment, an energy saving function and an integrated electromagnetic compatibility filter, says SEW-Eurodrive.

The Movitrac is one of the few drives available in IP20 or IP66 as a standard protection rating. It is available as a single-phase option from 0.37 kW to 4 kW and as a three-phase option from 0.75 kW to 11 kW.

“These units can be commissioned with ease and are preconfigured for matching motors,” the company adds.

Since supplying the DAS Aseptic motors and Movitrac drives to Garon Foods, the food producer no longer needs to replace these motors on a regular basis.

The two units combined have led to increased efficiency and production, and ongoing cleanliness at Garon Foods, Strzalkowski states.

“In the near future, SEW will release the Movitrac LTP B series with an IP55 rating from 0.37 kW to 160 kW,” he concludes.

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