SUGAR millers depend on high plant availability for maximum input versus output. That’s according to SEW-Eurodrive, which offers a range of transmission solutions to assist sugar millers in cutting costs.
“The main opportunity in this market segment is not only upgrading old and outdated systems, but the value-add that SEW-Eurodrive can add to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the sugar industry,” the company said in a statement.
It cited a recent comment by Illovo Sugar MD Mamongae Mahlare, quoted by the Sunday Times, that IPPs provide “a critical lifeline” for the sugar industry, which is faced with constraints such as the sugar tax and falling prices for exports.
Sugar millers produce their own power by burning cane fibre to generate additional power. “Here the expertise of SEW-Eurodrive in energy-efficient solutions is key. It can apply real-time power-saving solutions to produce the same performance from older existing equipment and applications.”
According to the company, these energy-efficient transmission solutions potentially produce more output power or torque by drawing even less power from the grid.
Applications for these mechanical and electrical transmission solutions in the sugar industry include milling tandems, bagasse conveyors, juice agitators, clarifiers, crystalises, sugar dryers, and many other production applications.
“A wide range of transmission solutions means there is a fit for every application.” These include high ingress protection (IP rated), high IE3 efficiency classes, and the high thermal class ratings (H) of standard IEC motors.
Other business investment solutions include the MIG high-torque energy-efficient mechanical drive system.
“These units read the output load continuously, and adjust the required power needed to drive the application, in addition to saving energy. The Xe series allows for compact solutions to replace old cumbersome systems and boost mechanical efficiency.
“Planetary transmission drive systems provide localised assembled solutions, and cut down on delivery lead times so as to benefit sugar millers even further,” the company said.
