Autogard torque limiters come through in the clutch
Modern machines vary in complexity and intended purpose in application, but one commonality all machines share is the element of motion.
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Engineering power with low-voltage induction motors
According to the International Energy Agency, 69 per cent of the energy used by industrial applications is related to electric motors, which are the driving force behind conveyor processes, pumps, heating and ventilation systems, and air compressors.
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Torquing about drive shafts for irrigation pumps
An irrigation pump requires a powerful drive shaft arrangement to pump water often from many meters underground.
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TECO launches hot button app for motor and drive selection
Innovative technology for the remote analysis of mechanical motor and drive systems could mean that the future of motor tech support will be at the tip of the touch screen, according to Steve Hittmann, CBC National Product Manager for Mechanical Drive Systems.
“Motion Industries has partnered with TECO to promote the launch of the new TECO MAXe3 mobile app, geared at improving the customer experience when selecting motor and drive systems for various applications,” says Steve.
“The TECO MAXe3 app gives customers the ability to enter the requirements of an application, view specs, troubleshoot support issues, and download design drawings,” he explains. “This includes the ability to adjust motor speed, torque and power ratings on an application to explore possible motor and drive solutions.”
With the ability to test applications within the app itself, end-users will be able to select the TECO motor and a drive best suited to their application, based on the relative detail that they are chasing — all with the click of a button.
“We are happy to promote this product, which compliments the TECO MAXe3 high-efficiency motor series range we have been involved in the distribution of for years,” says Steve. “The MAXe3 App is a user-friendly solution for analysing energy efficiency of electrical motor solutions in a streamlined manner. It can also stand to benefit our sales team with assisting customers in finding the right motor for the job.”
TECO’s MAXe3 motor range aligns with the Equipment Energy Efficiency (IE3) program implemented by the Australian and New Zealand governments to tighten up on energy efficiency standards for commodity equipment and appliances.
TECO is optimistic that the launch of the MAXe3 app will assist in reducing energy costs for businesses and assist in the design of more efficient energy solutions across industries.
“After months of hard work and dedication, we are delighted to officially announce the launch of our newly designed Teco MAXe3 App,” says Koorosh Faraji, Regional Manager VIC/SA/TAS for TECO Australia Electric Motor Division.
“As a market leader, it’s important for us to make information regarding our thought leadership, products, and services easily accessible for our current and prospective clients,” says Koorosh. “With the launch of the MAXe3 app, we are endeavouring to provide our clients with the most accurate, up-to-date information on our products.”
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Supplying timeless agricultural belt solutions
When peak harvest season is on, harvesting equipment goes into overdrive under some tough conditions. And tough conditions in the field, require even tougher belt solutions.
“The driven parts on harvesters can be powered by up to a dozen belts at a time, and belts are one of the most common parts that we see requiring repairs and maintenance,” says Steve Hittmann.
As BSC’s National Product Manager for Mechanical Drive Systems and Belt Drives, he asserts that reducing the cost of belt replacements and the risk of downtime during a harvest are two key considerations in his line of work.
“Belts used in agricultural machinery go through a lot of dynamic conditions. So, they need to provide high strength under tension and have the ability to be flexed in multiple directions around several pulleys,” he explains.
For the most demanding applications, he recommends the Super Ag-Drive®️ Belt by Timken, one of BSC’s premium partners.
A bit of background on the history of the Super Ag-Drive Belt is important in understanding exactly what makes them a reliable belt solution.
Timken Belts’ Super Ag-Drive product range contains more than 100 years of combined experience in designing and manufacturing belt drive solutions, as it was acquired back in 2015 by Timken from the centennial-aged Carlisle company.
“The Timken® Super Ag-Drive®️ belts were originally designed to be OEM equivalent,” furthers Steve. “At BSC, we promote them as premium belt drive solutions because in some cases we have seen these belts outperform the OEM belts in terms of reliability.”
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Driving longevity with Gates® software tool
A quarry or mining plant potentially has hundreds of different belt drives. How can a site or reliability manager ensure belts are achieving their life expectancy and that drives are working at optimal efficiency? According to Steve Hittmann, the Gates® Design Flex™ Pro™ free software tool is designed exactly for this purpose, providing real cost savings and benefits to customers.
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Tightening the belt: Continuous improvement for the earth moving sector
Behind every great piece of equipment is a good belt. The humble belt is the understated essential worker of industry, says CBC’s power transmission expert Steve Hittmann.
In a refinery or processing plant, failure of a belt can cause unnecessary downtime. This is precisely why manufacturers like Gates® invest their efforts into the research and development of increasingly high-performance belt technology.
Gates® is a premium partner in distribution with CBC, so innovations in belt technology are Steve’s business. The Gates® PowerGrip™ GT4™ is the latest in materials science for belt design.
Steve explains, “The chemical composition of the GT4™ belt is excellent for torque and tension. The belt is made from ethylene-propylene elastomer rubber (EPR) which is resistant to heat, oxidation, weather, brake fluids, oils and greases. In addition to this, it has a fiberglass layer with tensile cords to reduce the amount of stretch.”
“The GT4™ belts are designed around 25,000 hours of life which is the premium standard Gates® maintains with their products. This means a minimum of 3 years of service life. However, I have seen these belts last up to 4 or 5 years on particular applications,” says Steve.
“They don’t require any lubrication or tensioning which means once installed, they are relatively hands-free on the maintenance side,” he adds.
CBC Senior Account Manager of more than 43 years, Brian Crouch, recently identified an opportunity to put the belts into action at the Viva Energy Geelong Refinery near his branch in Geelong, Victoria.
“I’ve looked after the Viva Energy site for 28 years, supplying all the power transmissions componentry there,” says Brian. “I’ve worked on many projects over the years for them. But more recently, I upgraded all their fin fan belt drives.”
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