SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa recently moved into its new state-of-the-art 26 000 m2 headquarters complex in Aeroton, Johannesburg. The new complex more than triples the floor and factory space that was available at its previous premises. Built and equipped at a cost of R200 million and modelled on SEW-EURODRIVE’s showcase factory in Graben-Neudorf in Germany, the facility – which accommodates approximately 150 employees – makes extensive use of the latest technologies to effectively network people, processes, services and data.
The investment reflects SEW-EURODRIVE’s confidence in the future of both South Africa and the African continent. The company points out that Africa is regarded as the world’s next growth market. Raymond Obermeyer, managing director of SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, says: “This is a bold step that demonstrates our commitment to being part of solving South Africa’s problems and developing the economies of countries across Africa.”
SEW-EURODRIVE currently services 23 countries throughout the African continent from South Africa. “With the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol, we are expecting African markets to account for around 50% of our turnover within the next few years,” says Obermeyer.
The new facility will play a pivotal role in allowing SEW-EURODRIVE to efficiently service the burgeoning Africa market. It houses not only the group’s African head office, but also an assembly plant for industrial gears and electric drives, expanded central warehousing and repair facilities. It also encompasses assembly and repair of all VSDs, AGVs and servo motor technology. In addition, it accommodates SEW-EURODRIVE’s unrivalled Drive Academy, which delivers product awareness and maintenance training to customers. Online and virtual AR training and support is also now available.
The expanded warehousing gives SEW-EURODRIVE the ability to increase stock levels, a huge benefit given the problems currently affecting the global supply chain. It means the company’s customers in Africa will be able to get orders fulfilled with minimal delay.
“The new facility allows us to service our customers more efficiently, reducing the high cost of unplanned downtime and allowing them to adhere to their scheduled maintenance programmes,” Obermeyer continues. “Ensuring our customers’ continued productivity has been the key driver behind the development of our new premises.”
Over a three to five year period, SEW-EURODRIVE will incorporate further 4IR technologies, including automated assembly machines and guided vehicles at a cost of an additional R200 million. “We are working hard to shape the factory of tomorrow with system solutions for Industry 4.0, and a focus on raising productivity and implementing smart maintenance, while at the same time providing ergonomic support for the people working in these facilities,” he notes.
SEW-EURODRIVE has used its own technology to automate operations at the Aeroton facility, with the main production conveyor being based on the company’s high-tech MOVI-C all-in-one modular drive solution which is now being introduced to the African market. In essence MOVI-C is a suite of products – which includes PLCs, variable speed drives, gear motors and servomotors – that automates drive applications, whether they be simple or very complex.
The installation – which has resulted in a 40% productivity gain – includes the MOVIGEAR mechatronic drive system. The MOVIGEAR units – which combine an energy-efficient IE5 motor, gear unit and corresponding drive electronics in a single housing – control and drive the production conveyor. The modular nature of the installation means it can be easily extended in the future should the need arise.
The assembly line for geared motors can accommodate 7000 units per month, while assembly of industrial gear (IG) units is currently being ramped up to between 100 to 140 IG units per month, doubling current capacity. New spray booths and automated oil filling stations have been installed to cater for these volumes.
All local assembly is conducted in accordance with SEW-EURODRIVE’s global quality standards, with the assembly of VSDs, servo motors and other sensitive equipment being conducted in an isolated clean area – with copper grounding and anti-static mats. The assembly and logistics processes are also now incorporated into SEW-EURODRIVE’s SAP system, which gives better traceability and visibility of all orders as they move through assembly processes.
Other notable products to be assembled locally include the New Generation X.e Series industrial gears; the P-series planetary industrial gears for high-torque mining applications; short importation and commission lead times for mill drive solutions with power packs; electric motors; and the customised single-stage M1 range of speed reducers, which consists of 37 options for fine-tuning a drive’s output speed and torque.
| Tel: | +27 11 248 7000 |
| Fax: | +27 11 248 7289 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.sew-eurodrive.co.za |
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