While it may appear counterintuitive at first, an increasing number of operations managers and engineers now recognise that replacing legacy equipment can be more cost-effective than repairing it.
Worn worm gear drives are a standout example.
These units – popular due to their mass-produced, affordable nature – can be easily switched out for much more efficient bevel-helical drives, with vast benefits. The new drives can be custom-built to occupy the same space as the old worm drives.
SEW-EURODRIVE, a global leader in mechatronic transmission systems, motor control electronics and related technology, sees regular requests for such drop-in solutions within the mining industry.
As a gearbox approaches the end of its useful life, a new one can be assembled, delivered and installed while the other is being removed. Downtime, labour costs and crane costs are cut as a result.
A transition base matches the footprint of the old unit. Maintenance teams lift out the old unit and bolt in the new one. Most cases require no site modifications.
The company has existing designs that can be subbed in for the majority of worm gear units currently in service. The bevel-helical range is proving a popular upgrade.
Answering any need for customisation in such cases, SEW-EURODRIVE Australia keeps the majority of its gearboxes in component form. This allows for flexibility with the built products in aspects including specific ratios, mounting positions, shaft handings and cooling requirements, to name just a few.
The company operates a headquarters at Melbourne, with six other sites nationally, and approximately $50 million worth of stock components are kept on the shelf, to ensure that new builds and spare parts can be supplied as soon as possible.
An example of SEW’s state-of-the-art facilities is the recently opened Wingfield facility in Adelaide.
It is equipped with 6,500 square metres of workshop space as well as its extensive parts inventory, plus a nation-leading 1 MW load-testing station for industrial gearboxes, allowing validation of performance under load before a unit goes to site – priceless peace of mind for remote sites. The Wingfield Drive Technology Centre regularly load tests for interstate mines as well as South Australian ones.
It also keeps a wide range of locally stocked frequency inverters, motors, gearmotors, and spare parts, and repairs, rebuilds and conducts acceptance testing for SEW units and other brands.
These and other national outposts – such as Mackay and Newcastle, which both load test rigs at a 500 kW scale – are there to help prove design concept and reduce risk, ensuring robust, long-lasting performance for mining customers running their gear in tough operating environments.
New helical and helical bevel gearboxes are tipped to grow in demand as drop-in solutions across SEW’s Australian mining customer base.
In the below document, you can learn more about why.
There’s a by-the-numbers comparison of a 12-inch worm gear unit versus a new SEW X3KS120 unit, including energy savings, total cost of ownership, and predicted amortisation period. There are some little-known facts around efficiency gains between an IE2 and IE3 motor versus efficiency gains between a modern helical gearbox and an old worm gear. There’s also a problem-solving case study involving a reclaimer at a coal mine.
To learn more, download the brochure below.
