SEW-EURODRIVE debuts new agitator gear units in the UK, with Northumbrian Water set to be first customer

Industry-leading manufacturer of gear units and drive technology, SEW-EURODRIVE UK, has debuted a new solution for agitator and mixers in the UK, with major player Northumbrian Water placing the first order for the product – the X.e. agitator.

The gear units are designed specifically for stirring and mixing materials, with stronger housing allowing for higher radial load applications, and a robust, integrated foot design with multiple reinforced foot holes allowing for easy and robust mounting.

Building on SEW-EURODRIVE's wider X.e series of gear units and gearmotors, the X.e agitators are designed for high performance, and able to meet the ranging application needs encountered within various industries, including water and wastewater treatment, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals.

The agitators have a fail-safe design, featuring a horizontal housing split and a drywell to stop oil leaks, as well as an integrated oil pump to reliably supply all gears and bearings with lubricant.

During the X.e agitator design process a ‘digital twin’ concept was used, using a virtual representation of the gear to test its performance during development.

Northumbrian Water is set to be the first UK-based customer to receive an X.e agitator, which will replace older, and less efficient, double reduction worm and wheel gearboxes from the 1970s.

Northumbrian Water said: “We’re excited to have placed the first UK order for the X.e agitator, helping to replace some of our older industrial gears. With a big emphasis on increasing our operational efficiency, the fail-safe design of the agitators means a vastly reduced risk of oil leaks, meaning less downtime, and a better service for our customers.”

Richard Greenwood, UK sales manager for industrial gears at SEW-EURODRIVE UK, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Northumbrian Water, on their water treatment process upgrade project where our X.e agitators are being used to reduce the amount of suspended solids in the waste water by the process of flocculation clarification.

“The digital twin concept, which is used to design the agitators, means our engineers are able to use finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate the forces being exerted on the gear units when in operation, enabling low-cost testing to take place before analysis of the physical unit.

“As a result, for customers like Northumbrian Water, we’re able to select the best option from our eight different unit sizes, providing a solution built to mix any substance required.”

The X.e agitators are available now. More information can be found https://www.sew-eurodrive.co.uk/company/newsroom-press/overview-of-news/news_10880.html.