Being a heavy industrial engineering environment, SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. offers a range of transmission solutions to assist sugar millers in cutting costs. Sugar millers depend on high plant availability for maximum input versus output. This makes SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. the ideal transmission solutions partner to add value to the sugar industry, due to its expertise which is available locally 24/7, seven-days-a-week.

The main opportunity in this market segment is not only upgrading old and outdated systems, but the value-add that SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. can add to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the sugar industry. Recently Illovo Sugar MD Mamongae Mahlare was quoted by the Sunday Times as stating that IPPs provide “a critical lifeline” for the sugar industry, which is faced with constraints such as the sugar tax and falling prices for exports.

Sugar millers produce their own power by burning cane fibre to generate additional power. Here the expertise of SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. in energy-efficient solutions is key. It can apply real-time power-saving solutions to produce the same performance from older existing equipment and applications. These energy-efficient transmission solutions potentially produce more output power or torque by drawing even less power from the grid.

Applications for these mechanical and electrical transmission solutions in the sugar industry include milling tandems, bagasse conveyors, juice agitators, clarifiers, crystalises, sugar dryers, and many other production applications.

A wide range of transmission solutions means there is a fit for every application. High ingress protection (IP rated), high IE3 efficiency classes, and the high thermal class ratings (H) of standard IEC motors from SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd. means sugar millers are assured of electrical transmission solutions of the highest quality that are really cost-effective.

Other real business investment solutions include the MIG high-torque energy-efficient mechanical drive system. These units read the output load continuously, and adjust the required power needed to drive the application, in addition to saving energy. The Xe series allows for compact solutions to replace old cumbersome systems and boost mechanical efficiency. Planetary transmission drive systems provide localised assembled solutions, and cut down on delivery lead times so as to benefit sugar millers even further.

Local aggressive stockholding, finite ratios, technical experts, industry knowledge, around-the-clock operation, and purpose-driven employees adds value to clients’ businesses. When sugar-industry clients enter into a business partnership with SEW-EURODRIVE (Pty) Ltd., it adds value to their investment so as to result in the lowest cost of ownership.