SEW-Eurodrive drives innovation at automotive plant with Movigear® installation
A major automotive manufacturer in Gauteng has boosted its operational efficiency, safety and energy savings with the installation of SEW-EURODRIVE’s advanced MOVIGEAR® mechatronic drive system in its newly expanded buffering zone.
The project saw the delivery of 150 MOVIGEAR® units, supplied to drive conveyors in a high density storage area. According to Willem Strydom, Electronics Business De
velopment Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE, the customer’s goal was to standardise
equipment to simplify stockholding and maintenance, while meeting strict safety and performance requirements. These goals were met using just two variants of MOVIGEAR®, avoiding the need for up to 30 conventional motor variants and
significantly reducing inventory complexity.
Each MOVIGEAR® unit integrates a servomotor, gearbox and electronics, offering decentralised functionality with onboard communication and safety features. The system eliminates the need for traditional control panels with all units linked to a compact PLC via hybrid cabling in a daisy-chain configuration – accelerating installation and lowering infrastructure costs.
SEW-EURODRIVE worked closely with the original equipment manufacturer responsible for the conveyor installation, providing design input and onsite support during installation and commissioning. The reliability of the MOVIGEAR® units has already been proven across multiple industries, including food and beverage, and the units at this site have been running reliably since commissioning in January 2025.
A second phase of the project introduced condition monitoring using MOVIGEAR®’s digital data interface, enabling real-time tracking of performance variables such as vibration and temperature. This data is used to predict maintenance requirements, creating a digital twin of each unit to help prevent unexpected failures and extend equipment life.
With ultra-premium efficiency IE5 SEW electric motors, the MOVIGEAR® system also delivers substantial energy savings – estimated at over 38% compared to conventional motors – while offering IP69K protection for demanding environments.
By engaging from the project’s early stages through to final optimisation, SEW-EURODRIVE delivered a fully integrated and future-ready solution that supports the manufacturer’s productivity, safety and sustainability objectives.
