Displaying items by tag: gearbox

US: Germany-based drives supplier Flender has received the Supplier Excellence Recognition Award 2023 from engineering firm Caterpillar. The award recognises suppliers that demonstrate a commitment to excellence and drive a zero-defect culture. Caterpillar said that Flender exceeded 95% delivery reliability, with zero defects, during 2023. Contracts included gearboxes, remanufactured gearboxes, spare parts and couplings for Caterpillar’s 7495 Rope Shovel. The 7495 Rope Shovel is used in quarrying, including in the cement industry.

Caterpillar’s senior vice president strategic procurement and planning Pam Heminger said “Caterpillar’s reputation for world-class products and services stands on the shoulders of our global and diverse team – and that team includes our international and diverse supply network. By working together, we can deliver on our purpose to help our customers build a better, more sustainable world.”

Germany: Robert Habeck, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, has visited specialist Flender at the Hannover Messe trade fair. He spoke with the company’s head Andreas Evertz about the energy transition goals for Germany and Europe, Flender's role as a supplier for the wind sector, and the importance of an energy-efficient industry on the way to reach global climate goals. The mechanical drive manufacturer was part of the government minister’s official tour of the exhibition.

Habeck said, "Discussing about the expansion of renewable energies, we usually talk about the electrical output, the production. But here at Hannover Messe, we see also the other side of the coin. A lot of the industrial production is here in Germany, or at least with German companies. And when you say the market is now swinging in and growing, that's good news." He added that “It is challenging to bring electricity production out of renewables to 80% of the demand by 2030, but it is possible."

Evertz said "Flender is a major driver of the energy transition. And this starts with any kind of materials. In drive technology, Flender not only manufactures wind gearboxes, but industrial gearboxes that are involved in the production of raw materials for wind turbines. Flender is part of nearly every supply chain."

Other recent interest shown by the German government include a tour by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of Flender’s plant in Tianjin as part of a tour of China.

US: CalPortland has awarded a supply contract to FLSmidth for a new raw mill at its integrated Mojave plant in California. The scope of supply includes engineering, equipment and installation of a new OK 48-4 Raw Mill with a Condition Monitoring System and an ECS/ProcessExpert system. The mill is scheduled to be in operation in late 2021. No value for the current order has been disclosed.

“The new OK Raw Mill from FLSmidth will increase reliability and efficiency at our Mojave plant," said Bruce E Shafer, Senior Vice President for Cement Operations at CalPortland. It follows the purchase of a FLSmidth OK Cement Mill at the same plant in 2004. FLSmidth added that as both OK mills at the plant will share the same gearbox design, the unit will be able to streamline maintenance and manage inventory costs by sharing the one spare FLSmidth MAAG WPU-200 assembly.

Germany: Siemens subsidiary Flender, which supplies couplings and gearboxes to the cement industry, has signed a partnership agreement for technological solutions with digital drive specialist Currax. The partnership aims to bring a comprehensive increase in efficiency to Flender’s business and a high level of flexibility for customers. Currax executive director Daniel Aßman said, “From customer acquisition to sales, from implementation to support, Currax is the contact for all matters relating to the Flender portfolio.”

Egypt: Wikov hosted its Wikov Gear Technology Conference in Cairo in late October 2019 to promote its products to cement producers in the Middle East. The focus was on the historical presence of Wikov in the market under the former brand Škoda, and later the product highlights and innovations like Side Drive gearboxes with Separate Lubrication System and shock-load-resistant planetary gearboxes Orbi-fleX with flexible pin. The conference also included a demonstration of Wikov’s new online gearbox configurator. This platform enables users to configure and select a planetary gearbox, generate technical data, a 3D model and send a request for quotation. Around 70 industry delegates attended the event.

Poland: FLSmidth MAAG Gear has successfully tested a MPU/274G type gear unit at its Elblag production plant. The product is intended for JK Cement’s new cement grinding plant in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Shipping is scheduled for late June 2019. No value for the order has been disclosed.

Uzbekistan: Akhangarancement, part of Russia’s Eurocement, has installed a new Wikov gearbox on the rotary kiln at its plant in Akhangaransky as part of a US$1.5m upgrade project. Other work included upgrades to the clinker conveyors, the sludge line, the cooler, the heat exchanger and other equipment. A new production line is currently being built at the 2Mt/yr plant. It is scheduled for commissioning in 2020.

Russia: Engineering company Wikov Gear will transport a 120t gearbox to a cement plant near Vladivostok, Russia, via road and ship by February 2015. It is the heaviest gearbox Wikov Gear has produced in over 100 years of existence, according to CEO Tomas Zrostlik. Lorries with the gearbox will leave Plzen, western Bohemia, in the middle of November 2014.

The biggest gearbox made by Wikov Gear thus far weighed 102t. It was made for Siemens, which was building a cement roller mill in South Korea. "Before that, we were producing special gearboxes which weighed 60 – 70t, in particular for roller mills' heavy operations," Zrostlik said. Some 80% of the company's portfolio is equipment weighing 20 – 25t.

The gearbox that is destined for Russia is 8m long, 5m high and 2.5m wide. It has been designed for 15 years of operation. The recipient is Spassk-Cement, of the private group Vostok Cement, which has three cement plants and supplies 95% of its output to Russia.

"We will load the equipment within three weeks. It will travel to Hamburg and then by ship via Shanghai. We expect it to arrive in 45 - 50 days," Zrostlik said. The gearbox will be in 25 boxes, the heaviest one weighing 45t. The assembly will start in March 2015 and the launch of its operation is planned for around 15 April 2015. Wikov Gear is also responsible for the assembly and online implemtnation.

Supplies for cement plants have made up 15% of Wikov Gear's turnover thus far, but the share is to rise up to 25% in 2015. The company also won an order from Lafarge in Germany in November 2014.