Major retail chain turns to Westin Drives for solution to obsolete geared motors

When a major retail chain discovered the geared motors on machines in their distribution warehouses had become obsolete they turned to Westin Drives for a solution. 

The original unit was a bevel geared motor fitted with a motor-mounted inverter. The customer needed the new units to occupy the same space as the original, with the same critical mounting dimensions and the performance and durability of the originals.

Technical manager Fraser Lynch evaluated the full system in order to offer a realistic solution. The task was complicated by the fact that the customer needed to be able to retrofit motor-mounted inverters from old units, due to profibus issues.

The solution was to use the new Lenze g500 range of bevel-geared motors, which had the option of the same output flange diameter and shaft dimensions.

This had additional benefits, such as being able to use a smaller power motor (0.75kW rather than 1.1kW on the original) helping to reduce the energy consumed.

The advantages of using this type of gearbox are:

• Highly efficient right-angle gearbox with a compact design for space-optimised assembly.
• Standardised shaft and flange dimensions for easy machine integration.
• Low backlash and high torsional stiffness guarantee precise results during positioning.
• Improved gearbox cooling due to compact flange design.

‘Rightsizing’ the unit for the application means the unit operates at optimum efficiency and minimises damage in the event of a seizure on the machine. To future-proof the motor-mounted inverters, the solution can be easily retrofitted with the updated model. 
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After an exhaustive trial the customer was delighted and placed an order for an initial 25 units.

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