Siemens supplies sweet solution

When a worm gear drive crown wheel failed due to overload on a crucial conveyor belt at British Sugar's Wissington plant in King's Lynn, the priority was to get things running again quickly - and the ultimate result was a minimum of 10% improved efficiency.

The Siemens service team suggested a more energy-efficient bevel helical Flender FZG gearbox, size B3HH08.Where the existing 280 Cavex worm gear unit had a rating of 12,500Nm at 1000rpm, the new Flender bevel helical unit was rated at 27,000Nm, a considerably higher torque rating. The bevel helical unit also had the same hollow shaft diameter as the Cavex worm gear unit, so the customer could use the existing headshaft.The old unit was between 74% and 85% efficient; the new one offered 95% efficiency, an improvement of at least 10%.