NORD Drivesystems’ MAXXDRIVE industrial gear units are perfect for heavy-duty applications.
Across the bulk goods industry, gearboxes are often seen as the “beating heart” of conveying systems. Their critical role in adjusting input torque to meet application-specific requirements ensures the proper output torque is delivered to power long overland conveyor belts.
Without robust, efficient gearboxes, conveyor systems risk unplanned downtime, increased costs and decreased productivity.
Recognising the importance of reliability, German-based NORD Drivesystems offers scalable drive solutions across diverse industries. With production facilities in 36 countries, NORD has been assembling its high-quality drive solutions in Australia since 2008.
“Motors typically produce lower torque with higher speeds determined by the electric grid’s frequency,” NORD Australia director Max Jarmatz said.
“Frequency inverters can modify motor speed, or larger motors can generate more torque; however, the most economical method uses a lever effect in gearboxes, reducing speed mechanically while increasing torque.
“We’ve perfected this over nearly 60 years with solutions provided to over 100 industries.”
NORD’s gear units are manufactured with the UNICASE design, developed in-house in the 1980s to endure harsh industrial conditions.
The UNICASE housing, machined from a single piece, integrates all transmission elements and heavy-duty bearings. This design is a hallmark of NORD’s MAXXDRIVE industrial gear units, which offer high output torques from 15,000 to 282,000 Newton meters, with power inputs between 1.5 and 2000 kilowatts.
The MAXXDRIVE range is specifically engineered for heavy-duty applications like conveyor belt drives, agitators, mixers, mills, drums, and crushers, making it ideal for industries requiring high input powers across wide speed ranges.
In mining, fast-moving conveyors generate significant thermal energy, leading to thermal losses. To mitigate this, NORD developed the highly efficient MAXXDRIVE XT industrial gear unit equipped with fins that radiate more heat and reduce the risk of thermal overload.
Additionally, the XT design requires a lower oil level. This allows conveyors to operate faster and handle higher loads without overheating or requiring external cooling systems.
Image: NORD Drivesystems
NORD also offers specially engineered MAXXDRIVE SAFOMI solutions for mixing applications, stretched housings, MAXXDRIVE XD units for hoisting gearboxes and the highly compact industrial XC range with an industry-leading volume-to-torque ratio. MAXXDRIVE units are compatible with all NORD electric motors, ensuring flexibility in application. NORD’s modular system includes a frequency inverter of up to 160 kilowatts, an asynchronous motor, a gear unit, couplings, and brakes designed for client needs.
“Our gearboxes often come as part of a base frame arrangement with a motor and additional components like couplings, brakes, or IoT sensors,” Jarmatz said. “Each NORD industrial gearbox project is like a mini engineering project, as we strive to meet all customer specifications and requirements.”
NORD can also equip gearboxes with pre-installed sensors for integration into SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, enabling predictive maintenance through monitoring of vibration, temperature, and other critical parameters.
The MAXXDRIVE gear units are available as helical or bevel gear units, with various output shaft and flange options for optimal application connections.
With additional options for harsh environments, MAXXDRIVE units are specially designed to withstand Australia’s fluctuating ambient conditions. Taconite seals, heavy-duty bearings and NSD5 paint specs guarantee a long service life.
Over the past decade, NORD has developed three new motor generations driven by European government standards. NORD IE3 motors are up to 94 per cent efficient, while NORD’s gearboxes utilise highly efficient bevel and inline gears, achieving 96 per cent efficiency per stage, minimising thermal losses, and reducing a mine’s carbon footprint.
To further support Australian industries, NORD operates a gearbox assembly facility in Melbourne, Victoria, and offers an Australia-wide service partner network for repairs, spare parts, and after-sales support.
“A service case might occur 2000km north of Perth, WA,” Jarmatz said. “For critical projects, we engage local service providers with the necessary personnel and tools close to our customer, while NORD provides expertise, drawings, and spare parts.”
In recent years, NORD has expanded its customer base in traditional mining sectors such as iron ore and copper while also delivering innovative solutions for the rapidly growing lithium market.
“We take pride in supplying highly efficient gearboxes to the lithium industry, fuelling the demand for electric vehicles worldwide,” Jarmatz said. “This collaboration is a perfect match, combining German engineering with Australian entrepreneurship.”
As pioneers in gearbox manufacturing, NORD remains committed to supporting the Australian mining industry and beyond with its comprehensive drive solutions.
This feature appeared in the October 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
