Drive solutions for the bulk goods industry

Whether storing, conveying, weighing and dosing, or loading and unloading, Nord Drivesystems says it develops and produces scalable drive solutions for all sectors of the bulk goods industry. The drives are individually tailored to the customised application, and offer high energy efficiency paired with a robust design.

Large temperature fluctuations, abrasive ambient media, rough operating conditions: Demanding ambient conditions are common in the bulk goods industry. Drive systems used in this sector must be adequately resistant. At the same time, they should operate as energy efficiently as possible, provide easy maintenance and high reliability, and achieve a long service life. Different bulk goods require different plant arrangements that need customised drives.

Bulk goods handling from a single source

Being a long-time partner of the industry, Nord Drivesystems says it knows precisely the specific requirements of the bulk goods industry. The drive specialist globally supports operators of systems for storing, conveying, weighing, dosing, loading and unloading of bulk goods with optimised drive solutions, profound application expertise and technical support.

The powerful drive systems are characterised by maximum reliability, safety and robustness, and ensure smooth operation even in the harshest ambient conditions. Fully featured Nord drive solutions based on a modular system, consisting of frequency inverter, motor, gear unit, couplings, and brakes are selected as the basis. They are combined with solutions individually developed and designed according to customer requirements.

Ultimate reliability

Nord manufactures all gear units – even the industrial gear units up to 282kNM – with a UNICASE housing. An enclosed gear unit housing, which combines all elements of the gear unit is produced from a single piece of material. All bearing points are integrated in the housing block so that there are no sealing surfaces, which are subject to torque and radial loads. This way, the Nord gear units achieve a longer bearing life than gear casings manufactured from jointed parts and ensure efficient power transmission and high tolerance for peak loads and impacts.

Large low-friction roller bearings ensure extremely high axial and radial load capacities; high-precision axis alignment ensures quiet running.

Future-proof

Nord drives are highly reliable, have a long life, are easy to maintain and have a low energy consumption. They thereby help to reduce operating costs and minimise CO2 emissions. The system solutions also meet the requirements for Industry 4.0 applications, and with their integrated PLC functionality allow for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

 

Bulk bagging system helps meet aggregate demand

Leading robotics and automation company, RMGroup, has supplied one of its industry-leading bulk bagging systems, a BB-400, to building materials supplier Tippers.

As an existing customer, the new equipment supplements Tippers’ existing BB-400 bulk bagging and form fill & seal vertical packaging system, and comes as a result of increases in demand for virgin and decorative aggregates across Tippers’ branches throughout the Midlands region.

The BB-400 is the fastest bulk bagger from RMGroup. The system is capable of filling three bulk bags per minute and able to refill to weighment in just 17 seconds. A large 20 tonne heavy duty hopper feeds onto a large in-feed belt conveyor, which then feeds the BB-400.

The FIBC filling machine itself is controlled by an integrated weighing system that fills the hopper to a pre-set weighment, making bulk automation very precise at high-speed and volume. Built to a high standard, the systems are guaranteed to withstand 20 years of service even with the most abrasive raw materials.

Commenting on the BB-400, Tippers’ Bill Tipper, said: “The installation process was flawless from delivery to installation and the engineers were very knowledgeable and helpful. The BB-400 bulk bagger fully meets our expectations and performance requirements. With our expert aggregates yard staff, we are able to produce bulk bags inline with set daily quotas. This allows us to increase our output, meaning we can meet and service customer demand, as well as introduce new bulk bagged aggregate products to the group.

“Tippers have a very strong working relationship with RMGroup. The team is just one phone call away and are always helpful with any issues we may have. Where an issue can’t be resolved on a call, RMGroup has a very fast call out response to ensure our machines are up and running quickly. As our business continues to grow and the need for increased production arises, RMGroup would be the first choice for additional equipment.”

Ed Pugh, RMGroup’s sales director, added: “The ongoing popularity of the BB-400 amongst aggregate suppliers shows that its robust construction means it is well suited to handle the large loading shovels that operate in the quarries and bagging plants. We are delighted that Tippers value our relationship and we look forward to providing them with our bagging expertise again in the future.”

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