Drives & Controls October 2022

GEARING UP FOR GROWTH Given the current level of publicity for“sexy”technologies such as digital twins, big data, edge computing and digitalisation, it is sometimes easy to the forget that motion engineering still relies on many technologies that have been around for a century or more. Take, for example, the industrial gearbox which has been serving industry faithfully for almost as long as we have had mechanisms that move. It is easy to take such technologies for granted and to assume that they are unaffected by the turbulence that gripped the world in recent years. But a recent report from Interact Analysis reveals that gearboxes and geared motors are also being affected by these external pressures. Perhaps the most significant influence has been the rising costs of energy and rawmaterials. Inevitably, these are pushing up gearbox prices, which Interact predicts will rise by 5–10% this year, with further increases expected in 2023. A by-product the reduced export of Russian fossil fuels has been the decision by several countries to delay the closing of coal-fired plants – or even to re-start them. They are turning to new sources of coal, in particular from Africa. Tanzania, for example, expects to boost its production by around 50% this year. And mining operations need heavy-duty equipment, including gearboxes. Many gearbox sellers are reporting a surge in demand frommining projects. The gearbox industry is also benefitting from the move to renewable energy. For example, the demand for materials such as lithium and copper for energy conversion and storage has resulted in surging orders for mines. And the windpower industry is bulk-buying planetary gearboxes for pitch and yaw applications in wind turbines. But not all gearbox markets are booming. Heavy- duty industries such as metals and cement production have been hit by high energy process, with some plants closing. In China, the world’s biggest cement producer, production fell by 15% in the first half of 2022.. As energy efficiency becomes a critical consideration, some industries are considering moving from gearboxes to direct-drive alternatives, especially for applications such as conveyors and mills. However, Interact research analyst Samantha Mou does not expect a sudden shift to direct-drive systems, because of the relatively high costs involved. Efficiency is also a driver in the geared motors market, with IE3-rated systems generating the biggest revenues during 2020. This is being reinforced by the mandatory minimum efficiency levels being imposed in many markets. This will get a further boost next year when the EU adopts IE4 as the minimum for motors from 75–200kW. So, there is more going on in the gearbox market than you might at first think. And gearboxes will be around long after we’ve stopped talking about the latest fads. Tony Sacks, Editor n COMMENT