Industry-specific focus and life cycle support are the standout features of SEW-EURODRIVE’s presence at Electra Mining Africa 2026, according to Jonathan McKey, National Sales & Marketing Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE.

“Our exhibition stands will reflect how we partner with customers across the full operational lifecycle – from new installations through to maintenance, upgrades, optimisation and long-term asset management,” McKey says. “The overarching message is about business integration and modernisation, to take customers further down their sustainability and productivity journey.”

He highlights that SEW-EURODRIVE has expanded its offerings not only through exciting innovations in equipment and solutions, but through services to assess customers’ existing infrastructure and enhance it for more efficient and productive operation. This philosophy shapes both of the company’s stands at the show.

“Visitors to our main stand in Hall 5 will appreciate the industry-focused layout facilitating conversations that are both relevant and technically focused,” he explains. “Instead of a generalised display, visitors will be able to engage directly with specialists aligned to specific sectors including mining, materials handling and logistics.”

To enhance the value of these vital face-to-face discussions, SEW-EURODRIVE will have  management and technical experts on hand throughout the exhibition. Dedicated meeting areas will also allow for more private discussions around operational challenges, project requirements or longer-term strategic partnerships.

At the company’s second exhibition stand which is in Hall 4, SEW-EURODRIVE will focus on its electronics offerings while also showcasing its on-site energy surveys. The company’s experts will demonstrate how they use advanced tools to conduct these surveys and the important benefits they deliver.  

“We will unveil selected newer technologies on our stands with the focus on showing how this innovation is driven by customer need,” McKey says. “We avoid promoting products for their own sake; rather, we use these forums to ask visitors about the technical challenges they face and then we design our solutions to address them.”

This extends beyond physical equipment to include digital tools, training, service agreements and maintenance programmes. SEW-EURODRIVE will also be showcasing its training, digital solutions, after-sales and maintenance service. 

“Another theme at the exhibition will be the modernisation of existing plant infrastructure,” he says. “This is particularly relevant to mining operations where legacy equipment often remains in service for decades.”

While older systems may still be functional, their performance may be compromised and cost effectiveness may not be optimal. SEW-EURODRIVE increasingly works with customers to evaluate existing installations, comparing them against current technologies and identifying opportunities for improvement. This can include energy surveys, drivetrain assessments, maintenance reviews and broader operational optimisation studies.

“We can modernise those products, give better service life and make an impact across multiple facets of a customer’s business – including running costs,” he says. “We can enhance all of that by modernising the plant with technology.”

Importantly, the company aims to reduce the disruption often associated with upgrading legacy infrastructure with specialised solutions to streamline the transition while mitigating the associated risk. Another key talking point across the stands will be SEW-EURODRIVE’s growing service capability in South Africa including its expanded aftermarket support, reverse engineering and repair services. This capability extends beyond servicing its own products, to include other OEMs’ equipment.

“Our recently expanded facilities in Aeroton, Johannesburg, have further improved our service capabilities not just for our own product but also for non-SEW products,” he says. “With our depth of technical expertise and specialised workshop equipment, we can reverse engineer and repair obsolete products back to workable health.”

By visiting SEW-EURODRIVE, Electra Mining Africa visitors can begin a holistic discussion about their current operational demands and future plans at their specific mine or industrial plant. The experienced SEW-EURODRIVE people on hand at the exhibition will help plot the road the improved asset performance.

“Our presence further underscores that mining remains a major global growth sector for us, especially as mines look for ways of getting minerals out of the ground more efficiently,” McKey says. “This pressure is accelerating demand for modern drive technology, automation and broader operational optimisation which are the areas where we see growing opportunity.”

McKey also expects plenty of interest from Electra Mining Africa visitors in infrastructure development and asset improvement more broadly. He notes that SEW-EURODRIVE is increasingly becoming involved in projects that not only support industrial operations, but help modernise economies through better engineering, improved reliability and smarter technologies.

SEW-EURODRIVE Hall 5 J20

SEW-EURODRIVE Hall 4 C12

In African mining, where high costs, harsh environments and tight margins are prevalent, maintenance can make or break profitability. SEWEURODRIVE’s DriveRadar® is at the heart of a shift from reactive repairs to intelligent predictive maintenance. As the sector continues to embrace artificial intelligence (AI), Jonathan McKey, Sales and Marketing Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, explains that DriveRadar® already incorporates elements of AI to help mines make better decisions faster.

SEWEURODRIVE began its digital journey with relatively basic condition monitoring tools but has steadily expanded both the scope and intelligence of its systems. “We started introducing various forms of instrumentation and condition monitoring systems in South Africa in 2008. Since then, we have evolved our technology to encompass more drive information in a singular diagnostic system. This has resulted in the introduction of DriveRadar®.,” he explains. 

 DriveRadar® continuously monitors a broad set of parameters around each drive. Crucially, DriveRadar® doesn’t stop at raw data. 

“The diagnostic unit can monitor various external conditions, harmonics, vibrations, temperatures and based on that it can take the logic and give feedback back to the client, giving them a state of their drive. It also gives it a projected outcome if preventative measures are not put in place. In other words,  DriveRadar is not just measuring; it is interpreting and predicting,” McKey explains.

The practical value of this AIstyle approach is in predictive maintenance. Instead of rigid service schedules or lastminute fixes, DriveRadar® helps mines act at precisely the right time. “It monitors these changes and these variations, and the impact that would have on the oil and the viscosity and reliability, and it actually intervenes and tells a customer how much longer they can operate a drive safely before it results in premature wear or damage. For mining operations where every hour of lost production translates into significant revenue, that foresight is invaluable,” McKey adds.

By identifying problems early and accurately estimating safe remaining life, DriveRadar® helps mines avoid emergency breakdowns, reduce costly rush orders and plan maintenance around production, not the other way around.

A frontrunner in AI

It has already been proven that AI can have a positive impact on mining. While the technology is still novel in the sector, McKey states that DriveRadar® already represents a practical, embedded form of AI. 

“If you consider the fact that the diagnostic unit can monitor all these various external conditions and based on that, it can take the logic and actually create a safe running philosophy. That version of artificial intelligence already basically exists to a degree within the technology.” 

Looking ahead, he expects this intelligence to deepen, reducing the analytical burden on the human workforce. “We are constantly evolving our technology and as we progress into the years, we will further enhance this technology and allow less human intervention and more drive technology intervention to assist people in managing plants and production activities.” 

For African mines, that trajectory points to a future where smart drives and AIstyle diagnostics work hand in hand with skilled technicians, delivering higher reliability, lower maintenance costs and a much clearer picture of what is happening inside every critical gearbox and motor long before anything fails.

Innovative technology for ‘shrinking’ catalytic converters – designed and built in South Africa by Jendamark Automation for the global market – relies on the precision of SEW-EURODRIVE’s highly dynamic servo-geared units and software.

Based in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, Jendamark Automation is a specialist in advanced automated assembly systems for powertrains, catalytic converters, hydrogen technologies and other automotive components. Yanesh Naidoo, Executive Innovations Director at Jendamark Automation, says that 95% of the locally produced machines are exported and are in operation in Europe, India and the USA.

“The shrinking machine – or ‘shrinker’ – is a core component within our catalytic converter assembly cell,” Naidoo says. “This cell is a highly automated production environment in which multiple machines, robots and laser measurement systems operate in coordination.” 

The process begins with the core of a catalytic converter – a ceramic ‘brick’ or monolith, coated with precious metals such as platinum and palladium, that converts exhaust gases into less harmful emissions. This brick is wrapped in a thick spring-like insulation mat and inserted into an outer casing (or can) of stainless-steel. In this process, there are many variable factors to consider, he explains.

“Because the ceramic monolith is extruded and baked, its diameter can vary slightly – by two or three millimetres in a passenger vehicle converter and up to ten millimetres in a truck converter,” he says. “This makes the size of every monolith slightly different.”

To secure the monolith inside the casing with the right spring load, the casing itself has to be adapted. This is the key function of the shrinking machine – to reshape the stainless steel casing to the exact diameter required for each brick and mat combination. Shrinking stainless steel to tolerances of 50 microns requires enormous force and control which the shrinker achieves by closing a set of heavy tapered segments around the can. 

“For a passenger vehicle converter we use twelve segments, while for a commercial vehicle converter – which is larger – we use sixteen,” Naidoo says. “We pull a massive steel ring back over those segments and as the ring moves the segments close in, collapsing the can evenly around the monolith.”

Driving that motion are two powerful SEW-EURODRIVE servo motor systems, each connected to precision roller screws that pull the ring from both sides. Synchronizing those drives is critical. 

“If one side is pulled just a few millimetres more than the other, this will damage these very expensive roller screws,” he explains. “This is where SEW-EURODRIVE’s technology comes into its own; the drives and controllers keep the two motors synchronised to within very fine tolerances, even at the high speeds we need to hit our 30 second cycle times.”

The speed at which Jendamark Automation’s shrinker operates is one of its critical advantages, Naidoo emphasises, and this has been achieved through its innovative tool changer. He explains flexibility is particularly important in converter production for commercial-vehicles as variants change every few hours. Traditionally, each change required a lengthy manual tool change which would mean two to three hours of downtime. 

“This is why we developed an automatic tool change system for the shrinker,” he says. “We have got two cartridges outside the machine, one of which is preloaded with the next set of 16 segments. When the operator hits ‘tool change’ the machine ejects the old set, inserts the new one and locks everything down – all automatically in about 45 seconds.”

That innovation, also powered by SEW-EURODRIVE servo drives, has transformed productivity. 

“We have reduced tool changing times significantly, giving our customers more production time per shift, allowing them to produce around 80 additional parts,” he says. “With two or three tool changes a day, the gains are massive.”

The entire catalytic converter assembly cell can contain up to 30 SEW-EURODRIVE servo drives, powering and synchronising multiple machines – from laser measuring systems to robotic handlers. Behind the scenes, Jendamark’s proprietary Variant Manager software orchestrates these movements. 

“Every part coming down the line is slightly different, so every 30 seconds a new set of parameters – such as diameters, spring loads and positions – is sent to the drives,” Naidoo says. “There are no fixed positions so it is completely dynamic, adapting in real time.”

Parallel to this performance, he adds, is an equivalent focus on reliability as customers require minimal downtime to ensure that their processes and products remain viable. He notes that a USA customer, Cummins (through its acquisition of Faurecia’s USA factory), has been running Jendamark’s shrinker for almost six years – during which time it has produced over three million catalytic converters. 

“Apart from greasing the screws, there has been no major maintenance and no drive failures at all,” he says. “That is a testament to the robustness of our overall design and of the reliability of SEW-EURODRIVE equipment.” 

The customer was so impressed that it decided to standardise globally on Jendamark’s machines. 

“They had two other suppliers’ machines next to ours on the same line,” Naidoo says. “Now they’re replacing those with Jendamark machines, because of reliability and consistency of quality.”

Phillip Steyn, Branch Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE in Gqeberha, says the project exemplifies how advanced motion control systems enable complex automation. 

“Our MOVIAXIS multi-axis servo system, combined with our efficient servo motors and dynamic gearboxes, provides the accurate positioning and torque that this machine needs,” Steyn says. “The challenge was to deliver very high torque while maintaining precise synchronisation and feedback at rapid speeds.” 

He notes that it is easier to be accurate when machinery is moving slowly but it becomes much more challenging in the context of high speed machines like this one. SEW-EURODRIVE’s control architecture ensures that every motion – from the synchronised pulling of the ring to the positioning of the auto-tool change mechanism – is tracked and verified before the next cycle begins. 

“There is a great deal of feedback between the drive and the upper level controller,” Steyn explains. “The system scans the input data – the product types and can sizes – and adjusts torque and position in real time. It is the brain and the muscle working together.”

Naidoo highlights the value of SEW-EURODRIVE’ integrated unit – the motor, gearbox and drive -which is already matched for torque and speed. 

As industries intensify their efforts to cut downtime, reduce maintenance costs and operate with greater energy efficiency, the ability to anticipate equipment issues before they occur has become essential. Predictive maintenance, once considered an emerging technology, is now a core requirement for modern operations and SEW-EURODRIVE is driving this evolution with its advanced DriveRadar® IoT Suite.

Across sectors ranging from mining and automotive to agriculture, ports, airports, and food and beverage production, reliable drivetrain performance remains non-negotiable. Willem Strydom, Business Development Manager for Electronics at SEW-EURODRIVE, says the market is moving rapidly towards smarter asset intelligence. Customers increasingly want deeper, real-time insights into their operations and DriveRadar® provides exactly that through an ecosystem of intelligent sensors, edge devices and cloud-based analytics offering complete operational visibility.

Traditional maintenance practices such as manual plant surveys are proving inadequate in today’s dynamic production environments. Werner Engelbrecht, Works Manager Megatronic at SEW-EURODRIVE, notes that these surveys often become outdated quickly as equipment is replaced or repaired. DriveRadar®, by contrast, captures every new item added to the plant, offering a live, accurate and continuously updated asset overview. As plant layouts and equipment evolve, this real-time accuracy becomes vital for effective decision-making.

The benefits extend beyond visibility, with predictive capability at the heart of preventing failures. Engelbrecht explains that operators who respond to the system’s insights can avoid catastrophic breakdowns entirely. This also reduces the need for personnel to conduct repetitive physical inspections, freeing human resources for more strategic maintenance work.

A key differentiator of DriveRadar® is its reliance on SEW-EURODRIVE’s integrated drivetrain ecosystem rather than third-party add-on sensors. Strydom highlights that the company’s frequency inverters function as highly accurate, multi-function sensors. Each inverter measures time of operation, energy consumption, load and torque and detects vibrations or shocks – generating hundreds of parameters per device. 

With additional motor sensors and advanced vibration sensors where required, DriveRadar® collects data such as temperature, ambient conditions, oil levels and ageing indicators, load variations and vibration signatures extracted directly from motor harmonics.

All this information is combined to create a digital twin of each drivetrain. The digital twin uses AI-driven models to learn normal operating behaviour from the moment equipment is commissioned. Any deviation from this baseline is detected immediately, enabling early identification of bearing damage, prediction of brake lining life, forecasting of oil change intervals, detection of structural faults and identification of load inefficiencies. Importantly, the system is capable of monitoring non-SEW-EURODRIVE components as well, making it suitable for entire applications such as conveyors or pick-and-place machinery.

Accessibility is another major advantage. DriveRadar® allows data to be stored in the SEW-EURODRIVE cloud, the customer’s private cloud or local servers and can integrate with existing SCADA systems. Users can access full equipment data and generate reports from mobile devices, including in remote regions using GSM or SIM-based communication. This mobility is particularly valued by maintenance teams who can identify issues immediately without physically walking the plant.

To support customers in adopting these advanced tools, SEW-EURODRIVE has invested extensively in training. The company now offers training both on site and through its Drive Academy in Johannesburg. 

Comprehensively supporting the mining sector with commodity-specific drive train solutions, SEW-EURODRIVE has cemented its reputation as a trusted partner to the industry – a testament to its customer-centric approach, says National Sales and Marketing Manager Jonathan McKey.

“Twenty years ago, we secured our first major power pack contract for a platinum mine in Limpopo,” McKey recalls. “That project marked the beginning of our deep involvement in mining and today our gearboxes, motors and coupling combinations are operating in almost every mining environment across the continent.”

From platinum and gold to coal, copper and beyond, SEWEURODRIVE’s engineered drive train solutions have become integral to mission-critical applications, underscoring the company’s strong track record and ongoing commitment to the mining sector.

“As in every industry we serve, the success of our power packs lies in a systematic responsible approach that begins with a clear understanding of what the customer really needs,” McKey explains. “We don’t just develop application-specific solutions  – we take it a step further by building a sustainable cost effective supply chain and long term support ecosystem to back those solutions well into the future.”

McKey notes that SEW‑EURODRIVE takes a deliberate and strategic approach when entering new sectors, ensuring that each move is carefully planned, focused and sustainable. “We prioritise focus,” he says. “It is about understanding the landscape before we enter – not just from a technical standpoint, but also from a long term support and capacity perspective.”

With mining, the company’s journey began in the platinum sector, where SEW‑EURODRIVE developed gearbox solutions specifically engineered for the prevailing conditions on site.

“It was vital to understand the gear ratios, power requirements and velocities commonly used in platinum operations,” explains McKey. “That insight allowed us to rapidly grow our footprint in that segment expanding into neighbouring operations and quickly growing our customer base. From there, we moved into chrome mining.”

As SEW‑EURODRIVE expanded into new mineral commodities, it applied the same principle – understand the application first, then develop fit-for-purpose drive train systems. In chrome, this meant developing a new  stocking standardised gear ratios and power ratings for its power packs. When coal mining became the next target segment, the unique characteristics of that environment called for yet another redesign, this time with lighter material and faster conveyor speeds requiring adapted solutions.

“Today, we are arguably the dominant force in mining across Africa when it comes to industrial gearbox solutions,” says McKey. “That position wasn’t built overnight. It was the result of a highly informed, step-by-step expansion that has seen the company entering each commodity with a clear operational plan and investing heavily in building our local capacity to support it.”

That investment began with local assembly, first introduced at SEW‑EURODRIVE’s Nelspruit facility in 2006. Over time, this evolved into a significantly expanded local production and warehousing operation at the company’s head office in Aeroton, Johannesburg – where a Phase 2 expansion is now nearing completion.

Service and technical support have always been at the heart of SEW‑EURODRIVE’s value proposition, and the mining sector was no exception. “We knew early on that delivering quality products wasn’t enough – we had to match that with world class aftersales service,” McKey says. “That meant upskilling local service teams and embedding our global standards into everything we did on the ground.”

“Alongside our new designs, local assembly and upscaled stockholding, we brought in additional service staff and trained them extensively,” he continues. “We never enter a sector lightly. When we commit, we invest and this is to ensure every customer is fully supported across the entire lifecycle of their equipment.”

“Today, SEW‑EURODRIVE is not only a trusted partner for electro-mechanical drive solutions, but is also helping customers embrace smart mining with the introduction of automation and digital control technology,” McKey says. 

“The traditional combination of motor, gearbox and fluid coupling for controlled start-up is evolving,” he notes. “Now, customers want flexible drive systems with precise speed control and the ability to adjust production rates on demand – and our technology is delivering that.”

In addition to its core gearmotor offering, SEW‑EURODRIVE also provides full open gearing solutions for mills and other critical applications. This includes girth gears, main mill motors and gearboxes, pinions and related components; all of which can be manufactured and delivered quickly, offering a reliable drop-in replacement for competitor systems.

In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region. The new facility, which drew high praise from customers who attended the event for its scale, technical capability and level of investment, positions the company as a powerful local partner to the province’s fast-growing industrial sector.

With the Eastern Cape recognised as a critical node for automotive manufacturing, logistics, agri-processing, and renewable energy, SEW-EURODRIVE’s latest investment underscores its commitment to aligning with regional growth and customer needs.

“This is more than just a building – it’s a symbol of our long term investment in the region and the industries that drive it,” Phillip Steyn, SEW-EURODRIVE Gqeberha Branch Manager, says. “Our customers were visibly impressed by the capabilities we have brought under one roof – from advanced assembly and service infrastructure to the engineering depth we can now offer locally.”

The 2,400m² facility significantly expands on the company’s previous footprint in the area, offering modernised assembly bays, dedicated painting and dispatch zones and a fully equipped service centre complete with high-pressure cleaning systems,  conformance and quality testing and overhead cranes rated for drive units up to 10 tonnes.

The facility is already transforming response times and service efficiency. “We have shifted from being a branch office to a regional powerhouse,” Steyn adds. “We can assemble to order, stock critical components and carry out major repairs – all without sending equipment elsewhere. That is a gamechanger for uptime and operational continuity for our customers across the Eastern Cape region.”

Looking ahead, SEW-EURODRIVE has confirmed further expansion plans including the launch of a customer-focused experience centre. Steyn says that this interactive space will showcase next-generation mechatronic drive technologies, host energy optimisation studies and provide a real-world environment for customers to trial the latest control platforms and software.

The Gqeberha branch plays a key role in major industrial projects across the province, from turnkey solutions for fruit processing facilities to drive upgrades in the Coega IDZ and surrounding ports. The local engineering team works hand-in-hand with customers to co-develop solutions that prioritise reliability, energy efficiency and productivity.

“Our expanded facility reflects our belief in the Eastern Cape’s potential and our readiness to support its industrial evolution,” Steyn concludes. “This is about delivering innovation and support where it is needed most – right here, on the ground, with our customers.”

In a momentous step for the local industrial gearbox and drives market, SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa has formally opened a new service and repair facility alongside its headquarters in Aeroton, Johannesburg. 

“For the first time, customers can have all aspects of their industrial gearbox dealt with in one place – and to the highest OEM quality standards,” Raymond Obermeyer, Managing Director of SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, says. “This allows us to offer unprecedented warranties on service work, giving the market peace of mind, quicker turnarounds and enhanced uptime on their repaired and refurbished units.”

The company has invested almost R385 million in the new 17 000 m² facility, where construction began a year ago. Significantly this followed just years after company built its R500 million, 26 000 m² head office complex in Aeroton, into which it expanded in 2022. These developments form part of SEW-EURODRIVE’s proactive investment in added service capabilities across the world, which amounted to €1 billion in 2024 alone.  

Obermeyer explains that in an unprecedented move the new service facility marks the end of an era in South Africa in which industrial gearbox users would have to involve multiple service providers in a single repair or refurbishment contract. 

“The expertise and equipment in this facility allow SEW-EURODRIVE to conduct all aspects of a drivetrain repair – from the gearbox and coupling to the motor, steelwork and electronics,” he says. “We now have all this capability at our disposal, which is gamechanging in terms of quality, reliability and warranties.”

He highlights that the investment in skills and sophisticated hardware now gives the company comprehensive control over the repair process and the results. 

“Previously, we were often limited by the fact that other players were involved in the work on many service interventions – and we could not take responsibility for their level of workmanship,” he explains. “As a world class OEM and with our steadfast commitment to quality processes and components, we can now offer warranties of two years on our repairs and refurbishments. This has never been possible before and represents a significant and high-value development for customers all over Africa.”

The new service centre will even conduct work on gear units from other manufacturers, he notes, given the depth of the experience and infrastructure at SEW-EURODRIVE’s new world class service and repair facility. Over 65 additional technical staff are in the process of being brought on board at the site including engineering managers, field service engineers and artisans in various specialised disciplines. 

“Our centre is being equipped with the some of the most experienced skills in the local market, and our in-house DriveAcademy is busy finetuning their expertise in line with our wide range of drive solutions,” Obermeyer says. 

Fully equipped with the latest technical infrastructure, the work of the new facility will include vibration analysis and diagnostic testing for motors and drives as well as equipment for 3D scanning and CNC machining. Winding machines will allow for motors to be rewound in-house and tested in line with SEW-EURODRIVE world class OEM standards. 

“The facility will also include a fabrication department, so that we don’t have to outsource aspects like base plates, flanges, guards and other steelwork,” he says. “With the capacity to do our own cutting, bending and welding, this department allows us to conduct all this work in-house – speeding up turnaround times and ensuring constant quality control.”

Obermeyer concludes that the breadth of in-house services and engineering equipment at the SEW EURODRIVE service and repair centre represents a significant investment in the re-industrialisation of the local economy – allowing customers to optimise the longevity and performance of their drive systems and is aligned with the company’s commitment to strengthening its position as the leading industrial gearboxes and drives provided on the African continent. 

South African regulations on premium efficiency IE3 motors open a door of opportunity for geared motor users, says SEW-EURODRIVE, but forward planning and the considered advice of established and trusted experts is vital.

With the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) now mandatory since June 2025, many users of electric motors might be confused about their next step. Worse still, they may be vulnerable to poor decision-making due to uncertainty and opportunistic buying, according to Willem Strydom, SEW-EURODRIVE’S Manager for Business Development Electronics. 

“Having supplied IE3 motors as standard in our relevant geared units for some years already, and at no added cost, there is nothing in the regulations surprising to us or our customer base,” explains Strydom. “However, there are still many players in the market who might not be up to date with the regulatory developments – and we are well placed to be of service.”

He notes that some companies may feel pressurised by fear-mongering messages in the market to unnecessarily replace less efficient motors. On the other hand, the looming moratorium on the sale of IE1 and IE2 motors may lead to these units being ‘dumped’ on the market at cut-rate prices. This may tempt companies to buy old technology that will cost them dearly in terms of energy consumption.

“The regulations remind the market of the financial and sustainability value of using more efficient motors –  but the real benefit lies in system efficiencies,” says Strydom. “This is where companies can benefit the most when planning their shift to IE3 motors.”

Natasha Meintjies, Business Development Electronics Proposal Engineer at SEW-EURODRIVE, explains that the customer journey often begins with an energy efficiency test – which SEW-EURODRIVE conducts at no cost at the customer’s site. 

“By measuring the energy consumption on the customer’s existing motors and comparing this to our IE3 motors, we can provide them with an energy cost saving analysis,” says Meintjies. “There is typically an immediate cost saving of 4 to 8% of the motor’s power consumption, but more significant benefits can be achieved when moving to system level.”

This includes SEW-EURODRIVE’s more energy efficient drives, which can take the energy savings to another level – up to 20 to 30%, she says. These results are achieved from integrating the latest monitoring and optimisation technologies into the system.

“This also gives the customer more overall process stability and reduced maintenance costs,” she says. “Our modular designs ensure that all the components work together seamlessly for the best efficiencies and performance, making the whole system more reliable.”

Strydom highlights that SEW-EURODRIVE’s global research and development has ensured that the company already has ‘super premium efficiency’ IE4 and ‘ultra premium efficiency’ IE5 motors in its market offerings already.

“Our in-house laboratory in Germany is also third-party approved to test our motors for energy efficiency – as the IE3 benchmark has been mandatory for some years in Europe,” he says. “The test certificates that we issue are therefore accepted by South Africa’s national regulator; we worked on this well in advance to be ready for these regulations.” 

He points out that MEPS will be a valuable enabler for companies to mitigate the effect of rising power costs, especially as they reassess their drive systems with an integrated approach in mind and with experts like SEW-EURODRIVE to advise.

The MEPS specification applies to a broad range of three-phase, low voltage electric motors with rated power output between 0,75 kW to 375 kW and includes motors with non-standard mechanical dimensions and geared motors. Motor users are permitted to run their existing IE1 and IE2 motors until they need to replace them due to failure. From a retailer’s point of view, these IE1 and IE2 motors are allowed to be sold until May 2026. 

A major automotive manufacturer in Gauteng has boosted its operational efficiency, safety and energy savings with the installation of SEW-EURODRIVE’s advanced MOVIGEAR® mechatronic drive system in its newly expanded buffering zone.

The project saw the delivery of 150 MOVIGEAR® units, supplied to drive conveyors in a high density storage area. According to Willem Strydom, Electronics Business Development Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE, the customer’s goal was to standardise equipment to simplify stockholding and maintenance, while meeting strict safety and performance requirements. These goals were met using just two variants of MOVIGEAR®, avoiding the need for up to 30 conventional motor variants and significantly reducing inventory complexity.

Each MOVIGEAR® unit integrates a servomotor, gearbox and electronics, offering decentralised functionality with onboard communication and safety features. The system eliminates the need for traditional control panels with all units linked to a compact PLC via hybrid cabling in a daisy-chain configuration – accelerating installation and lowering infrastructure costs.

SEW-EURODRIVE worked closely with the original equipment manufacturer responsible for the conveyor installation, providing design input and onsite support during installation and commissioning. The reliability of the MOVIGEAR® units has already been proven across multiple industries, including food and beverage, and the units at this site have been running reliably since commissioning in January 2025.

A second phase of the project introduced condition monitoring using MOVIGEAR®’s digital data interface, enabling real-time tracking of performance variables such as vibration and temperature. This data is used to predict maintenance requirements, creating a digital twin of each unit to help prevent unexpected failures and extend equipment life.

With ultra-premium efficiency IE5 SEW electric motors, the MOVIGEAR® system also delivers substantial energy savings – estimated at over 38% compared to conventional motors – while offering IP69K protection for demanding environments.

By engaging from the project’s early stages through to final optimisation, SEW-EURODRIVE delivered a fully integrated and future-ready solution that supports the manufacturer’s productivity, safety and sustainability objectives.