Modular gearboxes offer flexible solution

SEW-EURODRIVE says it has simplified the configuration of its components to offer a modular design for its gearboxes, delivering a high degree of adaptability with parts that are readily available and cost effective.

“Our modular design allows the same part to be used in different sizes of gearboxes, which facilitates more economic production and less investment in stockholding,” explains SEW-EURODRIVE head of engineering Andreas Meid. “By streamlining the number of parts required for a product range, this also allows improved component availability and turnaround time.”

Modularity allows the company’s standard gearboxes to be run in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, which means the customer only needs a single housing in stock as it can be used vertically for an application such as agitation or horizontally for a conveyor system. Most of the parts are interchangeable across various applications.

SEW-EURODRIVE Johannesburg sales manager Jayson Jackson points out that most of the gearboxes’ pinion shafts would be suited to the specific gearbox size range, while the gear wheels would have more flexibility to be used in different size gearboxes.

“This principle has allowed the production of fewer specialised parts while still giving customers access to a wide range of options when developing a solution to their requirements,” says Jackson.

SEW-EURODRIVE project engineer Bruce Farthing notes that modularity allows the production of components to be streamlined, helping to improve efficiencies, lead times and masses.

“This also means we can focus our innovation efforts on a more limited number of parts, making a greater technological impact,” says Farthing. “Moreover, the modular principle makes the assembly of gearboxes simpler across a range of applications.”

Jackson says the SEW-EURODRIVE range holds similar benefits for conveyor applications. Where a customer has multiple conveyors on site, they can minimise the spares inventory as the housing can be inverted to operate on either side of a conveyor. He notes that the modular design also creates useful flexibility in the servicing of gearboxes.

“If a customer calls us with an input shaft assembly that is damaged, for instance, we can conduct a pre-assembly in our factory before delivering it to site,” he says. “The mine technician just needs to do a quick changeover instead of having to break the gearbox down to the bearings and gears.”