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Mechanical Technology — April 2016
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On the cover
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Varvel worm
and inline heli-
cal gearboxes
coupled to
MS asynchro-
nous motors
are ideal for
general-purpose
applications
such as small
conveyors and
mixers.
The Hansen P4 brand is strong in high-load vertical applications
such as mixing in the chemical, minerals processing, pharmaceu-
tical, cosmetic and food processing industries.
Danfoss offers full-featured VSDs/VFDs from 0.37 to 1.2 MW
and solutions are available for 220, 380, 525 and 690 V
systems.
responsibilities for the installed base
and for the advancement of the Hansen
brand,” Barbour assures, adding that,
“our bigger service footprint, we believe,
will enable us to offer an even better
service to Hansen customers.”
Completing its gear drive offering in
the large power range is BMG’s Zollern
Dorstener brand of custom-built gear sys-
tems. “These are large gearboxes, mostly
for sugar processing applications. They
incorporate bevel helical and planetary
stages, can weigh up to 62 t and produce
torques of up to six million Nm. We have
installed units for Illovo Sugar and Royal
Swazi, as well as at the sugar factories
in Nakambala, Malelane, and Komati.
Motors and the VSD/VFD range
Motors general manager, Graeme Neil-
son, says that, globally, there is a move
towards using higher efficiency motors.
Following that trend, the company has
now moved towards Synergy IE3 pre-
mium efficiency motors in the BMG Mo-
toline range. “We are currently phasing
out IE2 Synergy product and replacing
them with the IE3 product.
“But 80% of our local customers are
still inclined towards lower efficiency
IE1s,” he points out. “While customers
are generally convinced of the need to
improve energy efficiency and some insist
on IE3 and better, simply swapping a
motor for a higher efficiency equivalent
does not always result in massive sav-
ings,” Neilson says.
BMG, therefore, is continuing to stock
IE1 motors for the local market. “With
another nine percent hike in the electric-
ity coming into effect this month, every-
body needs to save energy. Often more
effective than changing to a premium
efficiency motor, though, is to look at the
whole drive train and system.
“The tensioning and alignment of
V-belts, shaft alignments and finding
ways of avoiding throttling and by-
passing for pump and fan operations,
for example, can have a more significant
effect than simply changing the motor,”
he suggests, adding that these issues
have been highlighted by BMG’s World
Class Production Efficiency Initiative to
help customers towards better global
competitiveness.
The company takes a similar ap-
proach to its VSD/VFD range. David
Dyce explains: “Our premium VSD drive
offering is through the Danfoss brand,
which recently acquired Vacon, another
high-end electronic drive manufacturer,”
he tells
MechTech
.
“These two brands have a multitude
of variations that cover almost any so-
phisticated drive requirement. In terms
of kilowatts, Danfoss offers systems
from 0.37 to 1.2 MW and solutions are
available for 220, 380, 525 and 690 V
systems. Vacon offers higher power
units – up to 5.0 MW – and includes
water-cooled options, which allow for
more compact installation, on ships,
for example, where space is limited,”
says Dyce.
To complement the fully featured
Danfoss and Vacon ranges, BMG also
offers its Motoline VSD range. “These are
tailored to the entry level VSD side of the
market, for those not requiring complex
features and who are simply looking for
some basic starting and speed control
on a pump or conveyor, for example,”
he explains.
“Traditionally, VSDs were used to
achieve advanced control functions,
but today we find that they are being
routinely coupled to motors for energy
efficiency. Take a glass processing line,
for example, VSDs are needed to control
and optimise manufacturing processes.
Such plants will go through every piece
of equipment and evaluate the benefits
of using a VSD to drive their motors more
efficiently – and they will usually buy a
VSD if it is justifiable.
“Typically, energy savings on pumps
in the water industry are giving a pay-
back period on a VSD investment of
less than nine months – and this is true
of centrifugal fans, too,” Dyce advices,
adding, “while the fully featured Danfoss
products can offer the best possible com-
bination of control features, reliability and
efficiency; the Motoline VSD range also
plays a role in reducing energy consump-
tion for less complicated applications.”
Barbour continues: “Our service of-
fering is also an important component
of our electromechanical business unit.
As well as workshops for our gearboxes,
VSDs and motors here at BMG World, we
currently have six strategically placed as-
sembly and service centres in South Africa
that can offer 24/7 support – and we have
a mobile onsite maintenance team to help
with emergency breakdowns.
“We strive to do justice to all of the
global brands we represent. This gives
us a very stable position in the market
and we are well positioned for the next
five years and ready for the upturn,” he
believes.
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