When a worm gear drive crown wheel failed due to overload on a conveyor belt at British Sugar’s Wissington plant, the priority was to get things running again quickly; the result was 10% improved efficiency.
The conveyor fed limestone/coke into a kiln to purify the sugar. In the run-up to the plant’s busiest time, British Sugar approached Siemens Industry’s Mechanical Handling Division, which supplied the original Flender Cavex 280 worm gear unit in 1997.
Siemens suggested an energy-efficient, bevel helical Flender FZG gearbox, size B3HH08. Where the existing Cavex had a rating of 12,500Nm at 1,000rpm, the new unit was rated at 27,000Nm, considerably higher torque rating. The Cavex was 74-85% efficient; the FZG offered 95% efficiency, at lower cost than a replacement worm gear.
A spokesman commented: “We had great service turnaround, we have a more efficient gear unit with twice the rating, and at a lower cost; a great result.”
