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other OEM equipment, as well as reverse- engineering services for any gearbox brand. “On the reverse engineering side, we will have a number of typical gear compo- nents, a 3D scanner and a display to enable customers to do physical scans and interact with some of the technology we are now able to use to create stronger and more durable replacement parts, which will all be manufactured to current SEW-EURODRIVE global quality standards,” he tells MCA . “We are becoming the modernisation pioneer for our industry, offering more control over asset reliability for our clients, more control over the after-sales and reli- ability portfolio, and more responsibility for keeping plant equipment running. “In addition, we can help clients to reuse as much as they can, utilising modern re- manufacturing processes to restore parts to OEM specs and extend their life,” he says. The new MV motor Also being showcased at EMA is SEW-EU- RODRIVE’s extended electric motor range. “To our comprehensive range of IE3 and IE4 low-voltage (LV) 380 V and 525 V electric motors, we are adding a medium voltage (MV) range that steps up our motor offer- ing to higher voltages and kilowatt ratings. “We have always had high-powered gearboxes, but these new MV motors allow us to control high-power SEW-EURODRIVE drivetrain solutions using motors that we produce and service ourselves,” McKey adds. Integrated mill drives: a global suc- cess for SA As an example of SEW-EURODRIVE’s progress, McKey describes a project that has recently been engineered and sup- plied in line with the company’s new vision. Powered by one of SEW-EURODRIVE’s new 6.6 kV 1.85 MW MV motors, a new mill drive solution has been purpose-engineered, manufactured and progressively installed by SEW-EURODRIVE and the customer. “Everything on this drive train, the 1.85 MW motor, the cooling solutions, the motors, the barring gear for use dur- ing maintenance, the main gearboxes, the pinion and the big open girth gearing, the special guarding systems: everything for this client has been engineered to order as a drop in solution to replace the old technol- ogy, modernise the mill and to make it more productive and efficient. We even built the drop-in base to ensure the entire solution fitted precisely into the existing footprint, so minimal modifications were needed be- fore installation. “This is a good example of an integrated solution. Every component turning that mill,
Left: Skilled technicians at SEW-EURODRIVE provide high-quality repair services, such as motor rewinding, to ensure long-term operational reliability. Right: SEW-EURODRIVE can now also provide precision motor rewinding services to restore performance and extend equipment life.
from the concrete up, has been custom- engineered, manufactured and supplied by SEW-EURODRIVE. Service level agree- ments have also been proposed, and to further protect the system, we are currently negotiating the addition of our ultramodern proactive maintenance and reliability solu- tion, DriveRadar ® IoT suite for Industrial gear units. “SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa has never done anything on this scale before, and we are very proud to deliver this solu- tion to a South African customer,” notes McKey. Innovation, training and service excellence SEW-EURODRIVE is continuously innovat- ing, making existing products more effec- tive, efficient, reliable, user-friendly and cost-effective. This is why the new Phase 2 Service Facility has been added. “Training is at the heart of service, which is why the expanded, more modern DriveAcademy has been relocated to Phase 2. We can offer our customers extensive, multifaceted, practical product training using the latest learning methods and mul- tifunctional training models from a fully equipped environment,” McKey says. With respect to the Service Centre’s ex- tended capabilities, as well as its mechanical capacity to repair and supply remanufac- tured gears for gearboxes, the facility is now also equipped to rewind and repair electric motors of any brand. “We are now in control of motor rewind- ing and the quality of all our product repairs from our Johannesburg-based Phase 2
facility. This also applies to light engineer- ing capabilities, manufacturing base plates and special drop-in solutions to enable new products to fit into existing infrastructure. “And these services are not limited to South Africa – we service the whole of Africa. All the capabilities available here in South Africa, including service level agree- ments and maintenance plans, are also being made available to customers north of our borders. We have cross-border plans to manage costs, to implement international maintenance plans across Africa, and to deliver the fastest possible response times. “We've done a lot of thinking to make sure we can offer value-added services in all the countries we service. And every one of our customers will get the same level of product quality and service they are entitled to expect from a premium global brand like SEW-EURODRIVE,” concludes McKey. https://www.sew-eurodrive.co.za/ Purpose-designed SEW-EURODRIVE MACC drives provide dependable performance in demanding environments such as air- cooled condenser and dry-cooling tower applications in the power industry.
July-August 2026 • MechChem Africa ¦ 5
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