Automation and drive specialist SEW Eurodrive South Africa has sold about 200 of its synchronous MOVIGEAR units to date. This includes a single order of 65 for a major abattoir, which indicates the popularity of the MOVIGEAR unit in the food and beverage industry.

The technology reduces installation, start-up efforts and costs, and reduces energy and operational costs.

In addition, the design complies with all of the necessary requirements in terms of hygiene- sensitive areas that demand a high level of cleanliness.

“The MOVIGEAR unit itself is highly integrated, comprising three different sections, namely an electronic inverter, which is connected to the servo motor and, in turn, connected to the gearbox section. It is essentially a mechatronic drive system,” SEW Eurodrive South Africa sales engineer Sean Tibbott highlights.

This integration allows for minimal electrical and mechanical losses through direct contact or connection between the drive components. One of the features includes reduced noise levels, meaning it is ideal for areas where workers are present. The units are easy to keep clean, which is important to maintain high hygiene standards.

The MOVIGEAR units are available in three different torque variants, namely 200 Nm, 400 Nm, and an extended torque version (representing a 16% increase over the largest torque output). Standard features include IP65 and IP69K rating, which makes them ideal for the demanding requirements of the food and beverage industry.

“Another key differentiator is that more than 20 different ratios are available, allowing for maximum flexibility in selecting application speeds,” Tibbott points out. It is due to this flexibility and modularity of the MOVIGEAR unit that makes it particularly suited for the diverse and demanding requirements of industries such as food and beverage.

“A major benefit of the mechatronics unit is the energy-saving potential. In the case of the MOVIGEAR units, this potential saving can be as high as 50%. Therefore, it is important for customers to take such long-term factors into account, instead of basing their purchasing decisions on cost alone, and procuring cheaper, but far less efficient, systems that do not offer the same technical backup and service support,” Tibbott concludes.