The inauguration of NORD’s new Australian subsidiary, NORD Drivesystems Pty. Ltd., will take place on 6 October 2011 in the presence of NORD founder G. A. Küchenmeister, Mark Alexander, Managing Director of NORD Drivesystems Australia, and Gernot Zarp, Head of International Sales at NORD. NORD Drivesystems Australia commenced operations in 2010 with the construction of an assembly hall in the Melbourne suburb of Derrimut and started manufacturing gearboxes and electric motors. Investments into an extension of the paint facility and a modern drying room followed at the beginning of 2011.

More than two thirds of the energy consumed in industrial applications goes into the operation of electric drive technology. Since an electric motor’s energy consumption makes up about 98% of its total cost of ownership, investment in efficient drive technology is more than worthwhile. Nord offers energy efficient drive systems, including Unicase gearboxes with regenerative breaking, IE2 motors, and frequency inverters that automatically reduce magnetization when the motor is operated under partial load. All together it reduces energy consumption by a half compared to former solutions.

NORD Drivesystems celebrates anniversary and opens building extension

making process

NORD Drivesystems supplies PROFINET modules for the integration of frequency inverters into PROFINET environments. In the second quarter of 2011, NORD introduced new modular units for cabinet-mounted SK 500E inverters while a version for distributed SK 200E-type inverters will follow in the fourth quarter.

At this year's Hannover Messe exhibition, a preview of a new line of two-stage helical bevel gear units, which consists of models in five different sizes with torques between 90 and 660 Nm, has been showcased at NORD Drivesystems' booth. All units feature a high-strength die-cast aluminum gearcase which is designed according to the proven UNICASE principle. Since the gearcase requires neither an inspection cover nor a screw-on input cover, the units are especially small and light-weight. This facilitates handling, and helps reduce energy consumption particularly in applications where drives are moved.

By adding the top-of-the-line SK 540E, featuring an integrated basic PLC functionality, NORD Drivesystems has expanded its SK 500E series of compact frequency inverters for control cabinet installation. This cost-effective inverter – which does not require the support of an external controller - is able to control many demanding applications with sequences and links to counters, comparators and flags that are easily programmed in accordance with the industry standard IEC 61131-3 using the PC-based NordCon tool.

Facing a ceaseless stream of multi-ton loads, drives in portside gantry cranes are under constant pressure to perform. Users need and demand reliable solutions that deliver excellent dynamics, positioning precision, and cost efficiency in equal measure. Hoist and trolley drives used in shipyard or container terminal cranes therefore require specialized mechanics and electronics suitable for this demanding application area.

SMIL has chosen Nord Drivesystems geared motors for the new conveyor system at the Gardanne quarry operated by Durance Granulats, in the south of France. This will increase capacity by 25%, taking the weight of ore processed from 400,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes a year.