Pump systems as well as mixers and agitators are elementary components of many systems in process, waste water and process engineering and ensure smooth operation in sewage treatment plants, waterworks, production plants, cooling systems or conveyor lines. They often have to move large volumes of liquid or circulate highly viscous substances. Availability, reliability and durability are therefore top priorities.

Nord offers coordinated drive systems consisting of gearbox, motor and frequency inverter - adapted to the respective requirements of the application. The drive solutions can be networked, operate independently and are scalable in terms of function and performance. As part of the digitalization of industrial production, the pump industry is also moving away from centralized control towards decentralized intelligence that controls processes, identifies errors and solves problems independently. The decentralized drive systems form master-slave groups that communicate with each other and thus take over the monitoring and control of the pump system.

The frequency inverter is the brain of the drive and is installed directly on the geared motor in decentralized concepts. It has a PLC as standard, which can take over control tasks independently and relieve the higher-level system control. For example, the pressure and flow rates of the pumped liquids can be adjusted to the current demand by the inverter. This means that no superfluous energy is wasted on valves and flaps. The frequency inverter always adapts the output to the demand.

Record data and create a diagnosis

By integrating the PLC into the frequency inverter, the drives can record the pump and drive data, evaluate sensor and actuator data, offer diagnostic options and transmit the data to the higher-level system controller or a cloud solution via the bus system. By monitoring the field level and linking communication, sensors, process data and drive parameters, seamless condition monitoring can be implemented. This forms the basis for condition-based maintenance with the aim of reducing unplanned downtimes, lowering maintenance and servicing costs and increasing the service life of the drives and pumps.

The combination of Maxxdrive industrial gearbox, Safomi IEC adapter and a drive motor for mixer and agitator applications. © Nord Drivesystems

Nord supplies complete drive solutions that cover a wide speed range, especially for agitators. Thanks to the easy-to-clean, corrosion-resistant aluminum housing, they achieve better heat dissipation than drives with other housing materials. In pump, agitator and mixing applications, high radial and axial loads occur due to the process. Nord Drivesystems has optional versions in its range to ensure that the gearbox can optimally absorb the forces that occur. These include an agitator version with a larger bearing spacing and a reinforced output shaft bearing as well as a drywell version with an additional oil drip disk and leakage oil indicator or oil sensor. The distance between the bearings in these bearing arrangements is increased using add-on parts, while the gearbox size remains constant. This enables a higher load capacity and extends the service life of the gearbox.

Less effort, greater operational reliability

For agitator applications, the industrial gearboxes can also be equipped with a Safomi IEC adapter (Sealless Adapter for Mixers). Safomi is available for spur gearboxes in sizes 7 to 11, i.e. for maximum output torques of 25 to 75 kNm. The compact combination of Maxxdrive industrial gearbox, Safomi IEC adapter and drive motor is a good choice for mixers and agitator applications to reduce wear and attachment parts. Switching to a Safomi adapter leads to greater operational reliability and lower maintenance costs. The oil level and therefore the required oil volume are lower, and the lack of attachments reduces the installation space.

The robust drive solutions offer high reliability and ensure trouble-free operation. The reinforced output shaft bearing and larger bearings allow the gearbox to absorb large forces and extend the service life. In combination with the decentralized frequency inverters and their options for intelligent control, networking and diagnostics, the Nord drive solutions are Industry 4.0-ready and are suitable for all future requirements in process and wastewater technology.

Jörg Niermann, Head of Marketing, Nord Drivesystems