With so much innovation to see, SEW-EURODRIVE has expanded its presence at Electra Mining Africa this year with added exhibition space in Hall 7 that showcases its innovations in automation and electronics.

This exciting addition complements the company’s large landmark stand in Hall 6, which has always been a favourite for the event’s visitors, according to Jonathan McKey, National Sales and Marketing Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE. The message that the company is ‘closing the loop’ with its growing portfolio of product developments is loud and clear, says McKey.

“This means diversifying into a range of other opportunities within the mining and industrial sector value chains, with new products being introduced to support this strategy,” he explains. “We are already achieving this in agriculture, for instance, where in addition to our conveyor and pump solutions and variable speed drives in pack houses, we will further expand into pivot and wheel drives for applications on the lands.”

Visitors will also see how sustainability is built into the business’s growth into the continent, including the intensive upskilling underway at its local facilities in various African countries.

“As leaders in this industry, we play a key role in empowering artisans – both in-house and for customers – through our Drive Academy which pushes the boundaries in augmented reality (AR) as a learning tool,” he says. “This all helps consolidate our foundation of expertise upon which the market relies.”

At the  SEW-EURODRIVE stand in Hall 6, visitors can witness new solutions like the purpose-built SEW X.e agitator, fresh from its launch in Europe last year. Also being launched is a range of planetary solutions that will close the loop in new market segments, as well as the new ECO2 design drive that features environmentally friendly manufacture.

“We also look forward to discussing our DriveRadar technology with visitors, as the mining sector embraces predictive maintenance to achieve better uptime levels and enhance equipment lifespans,” he says. “Another sustainability focus as a good neighbour is our careful use of natural resources, including our own lubrication solution.”

Among the insights to be gained at SEW-EURODRIVE’s Hall 7 stand is the potential of the latest generation SEW MOVI-C® modular automation technology. This delivers advanced features in a format that is simpler to commission and use, says McKey.

“We’ve refined this offering to ensure we can give customers those elements relevant to their business – so you get just what you need and have the advantage of being able to supplement later with more features,” he says. “It is easy to be overwhelmed by the complexity of automation in drive technology, so we remove this daunting experience and work closely with customers to migrate smoothly.”

Electra Mining Africa also allows visitors to physically meet the SEW-EURODRIVE experts that would accompany them through their automation journey. The company prides itself on supporting customers from the purchasing decision right through to commissioning and operation.

“Our automation and electronics division walks with customers through the migration process so they don’t have to struggle on their own to get new systems to work,” he concludes.