SEW-EURODRIVE gear units used in OEM projects

Local original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) Wamechsi Group uses products from automation and drive specialist SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa for a range of wastewater treatment plants it has built in the country. This standardisation is largely owing to the quality and reliability of the German technology.

Wamechsi Group manufactures a range of mechanical equipment for the various stages of the treatment process at wastewater treatment plants. This includes mechanical screens, wash presses and screw presses that wash and compact the material that is removed. Ancillary mechanical equipment includes screw pumps, surface aerators and clarifiers.

The OEM’s latest projects to feature SEW-EURODRIVE products are the Virginia Phase 2 project, where six 75 kW industrial gear units have been installed specifically for aerators, and the Theronia project, where 22 geared motors, as well as 15 geared motors for mixers at Buschkoppies were used. Phase 1 of the Virginia project has been completed, while Phase 2 is being commissioned.

“The main reason for our success in this industry to date is largely owing to our innovation and reliable product range,” says SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa sales representative Willem Strydom.

Depending on the size of the plant and the volume of the water, he mentions that, on average, a plant can take about 24 to 48 hours to complete a wastewater treatment cycle. The four integral parts of the process, which runs 24 hrs non-stop, are the preliminary, primary, secondary and tertiary treatments.

The process involves removing solids such as rags, paper, wood, metal products and plastics from the water. Once removed, the resultant sludge contains all of the finer solids. These are screened out, removed by conveyor and disposed of.

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Strydom points out that, in the geared motor range, the in-line helical gear motors are mainly used for mixers and mixing applications.

SEW-EURODRIVE’s parallel helical gear units or geared motors are used on screens and screw conveyors, while the company’s helical bevel units are used on drum screens. For industrial gear units, the company’s MC Series and X Series gear units are used on aerators.

Strydom explains that these products are used in all applications across various industries. Its flexible solutions cater for applications from wastewater to the mining industry. Its modular products have been used in plants in South Africa, as well as in Namibia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, adapted according to the varying requirements.