Drive and automation specialist SEW-Eurodrive South Africa will give insight into the future of mining at this year’s Electra Mining Africa, where it will display its total solutions offering for the mining industry.

Long known in the mining industry as a manufacturer and supplier of geared units, SEW national sales manager Norman Maleka highlights that Electra Mining Africa 2018 is the ideal platform to convey the full extent of its services and products to as wide an audience as possible.

SEW experts will be on-hand to discuss the latest innovations from the German company, which SEW-Eurodrive South Africa plans to introduce locally in the future. One of these upcoming trends are mechatronic industrial gear (MIG) units. These represent the convergence of gears, motors, and decentralised inverters in a single handy package.

This is an exciting future technology for the mining industry, especially with the increasing trend towards automation to cut costs and boost productivity, Maleka comments. The MIG unit is an innovative solution that ensures practical benefits and profitability across all stages, from the initial inquiry right through to maintenance.

“The fact that we are in a position to not only predict what the technology trends in the mining industry will be in the short to long term, but have already developed products to meet such demands, places us in a very good position to keep our customers up to date with the future of mining. “Our expertise and experience in this regard is unparalleled, combined with our 24/7 customer service and aftermarket support,” Maleka notes.

In terms of new products to be displayed, Maleka points to the ECDriveS 24 V drive system for light-load conveyor applications. “Mining operations are under constant pressure to reduce supply-chain costs, and one area where we can effect such efficiencies is in materials handling applications.”

Another materials handling innovation from SEW to be showcased is its automated guided vehicle (AGV) system for assembly lines in a range of industrial sectors. AGV systems are used to automate in-house material flows, or they can serve as the basis for flexible assembly operations. The track-guided inductive heavy-load AGVS allows for a barrier-free factory, for example.

SEW’s total AGV system solution covers the individual vehicles, energy supply, and the WLAN communication, as well as the navigation and vehicle coordination itself. The MOVITRANS line cable laid in the floor enables contactless energy transfer, and thus wear-free and low maintenance.

Visitors to the SEW stand will also be able to view products, such as its IE3-compliant DRN motors and LTP-B Eco drive for fan and pump control by means of augmented reality, an exciting feature likely to generate high visitor interest at the SEW stand.

Hall 6 Stand J20