Almost 70 percent of the energy costs of companies that use a lot of conveying and storage technology is occasioned by drive technology. Intelligent, energy efficient gearmotors from  ZEITLAUF^® can significantly reduce these costs because when smaller motors with lower associated power consumption rates are used the entire infrastructure (such as energy supply and cooling systems) can be considerably smaller and lifetime can be significantly increased.

Energy efficient drives for conveyors
Ahas for years been coupling state-of-the-art drive technology with innovative electronics to provide complete mechatronic solutions. Because, through integrated electronics, complex control strategies and the integration of BUS systems, drives are becoming ever more intelligent. But although large drive units dominate in terms of savings potential, small drive units are becoming ever more significant owing to decentralised regulation and control concepts. Savings can be made either through energy requirement “on demand” (i.e. the drive only runs when required) or through conveying the material at the lowest speed necessary. In any case, optimising the energy-related processes is paramount. The objective is to achieve the best possible specific situation-related machinery design and run it to the optimum.

Calculation Example
One specific conveyor technology example is the immense energy efficiency of EtaCrown^® 75 with Variodrive motor VDC-3-49.15: Increased usage of gearheads with improved efficiency rates enormously reduces power consumption. Thus, for example, the power used on a small conveyor equipped with 20 EtaCrown^® drives is approximately 50 percent less than the same using standard worm gears, with the extra savings accruing from infrastructure and extended lifetime not yet factored in. This means a definite saving of 5,467 kilowatt hours and 3,419 kilos less CO2 emissions. The electricity saved in a year would be enough to power 497 low-energy light bulbs (11 Watt) for 1,000 hours. In terms of life cycle costs, the actual cost advantage (no maintenance, smaller switching power supply units, energy savings etc.) set out in the example above is approximately 2,500 Euro per year.

Planetary gearhead Performax^® 42 with ECI motor 4240 combines outstanding power density (transmissible torque related to installation space and the materials used) and excellent smoothness with a lifetime of more than 20,000 h. The roller drive is a mechatronic system solution resulting from the best possible interaction of gearhead and motor with integrated electronics – outstanding smoothness at a very good price-performance ratio:

• Reductions from 13:1 in a single stage make it possible to use single-stage gearheads.
• Optimum adaptation to the high revs in the first stage. Helical gearing in the first stage means that better intermeshing conditions are achieved and thus greater transmissible loads.
• Performax^® 42 with ECI motor 4240 features, as standard, needle bearing mounted steel planetary gearwheels in the first stage.
• Hardened, polished drive shaft available, as standard, in two different versions (feather key or face).