SEW-EURODRIVE will showcase its comprehensive MOVI-C® modular automation portfolio at Propak Cape, highlighting how integrated drive and automation technologies can help processing and packaging companies reduce energy consumption, improve efficiency and achieve more consistent production performance.

The exhibit will include the full MOVI-C® range together with a robotic arm, illustrating the depth of automation technology available to machine builders, OEMs and end users seeking increasingly intelligent and energy-efficient production solutions.

According to Jonathan McKey, National Sales and Marketing Manager at SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa, achieving meaningful energy savings requires more than simply selecting an energy-efficient motor or drive.

“Energy efficiency needs to be considered across the complete machine or production line,” McKey says. “Our approach is to work closely with customers to understand the application, the operating cycle and where energy is being consumed. From there, we can engineer an integrated drive and automation solution that supports both optimum performance and reduced energy usage.”

MOVI-C® provides a single modular automation platform incorporating drive technology, motion control, control technology, software and communication capabilities. This allows individual machine functions to be coordinated within an integrated architecture, supporting precise control of motors and movement throughout processing and packaging applications.

For packaging operations in particular, accurate speed, positioning and synchronisation are fundamental to achieving high throughput while avoiding unnecessary mechanical and energy losses. Intelligent drive control allows equipment to operate according to actual process demand rather than continuously running at maximum output.

The ability to coordinate multiple axes is equally important in applications such as conveying, handling, positioning, sorting, palletising and robotic systems, where accurate movement and repeatability can directly influence productivity and product quality.

McKey emphasises that SEW-EURODRIVE’s role extends beyond supplying individual components.

“We partner with customers from the engineering and specification stage through to commissioning and lifecycle support,” he says. “This allows us to look at the complete application and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, simplify automation and optimise the performance of the installed equipment.”

The company’s presence at Propak Cape will reinforce this system-based approach, demonstrating how motors, gear units, frequency inverters, decentralised drive technology, controllers and software can function as an integrated automation ecosystem.

For processing and packaging companies facing increasing pressure to improve productivity while managing electricity costs, McKey says automation and energy efficiency must increasingly be considered together.

“The objective is ultimately to help customers produce more efficiently, with better control of their processes and a lower overall energy requirement,” he concludes.