Geared motors are corrosion-resistant for shellfish processing

Hundreds of 1.5kW geared motors keep the conveyor belts moving at Krijn Verwijs' shellfish processing centre. The salt-laden air meant that conventional drives reached their limit rather fast. Brand new cast iron geared motors showed first signs of rust after just a few weeks, and they only lasted about two years before they had to be replaced. Even good protective coatings or painting could not significantly delay the onset of corrosion under these aggressive ambient conditions. Stainless steel did not prove to be a reasonable alternative either because the drives get very hot and require a long cooling period before they can be cleaned.

The solution has proven to be Nord aluminium drives with nsd tupH surface treatment. For the nsd tupH treatment, no material is applied - so nothing can flake off. Instead, the surface treatment creates a base layer that is permanently bonded to the substrate. Based on an electrolytic process, this treatment gives aluminium housings a similar corrosion resistance to that of stainless steel. The scratch-proof surface is also six times harder than the untreated aluminium alloy and 1000 times harder than paint.

Purchase costs for aluminium systems with nsd tupH surfaces may be higher compared with those of conventional drives made from cast iron, but this is made up for by a much longer service life. In addition, costs for replacement motors and the resulting considerable installation efforts are eliminated. Bram de Visser, service manager at Krijn Verwijs, says: "With the new Nord solution, we no longer have to keep worrying about the drive systems. We are expecting the drives treated with nsd tupH to last at least five times longer than the old geared motors."

The nsd tupH treatment is available for all Nord products made from aluminium.

At a glance: advantages of nsd tupH

• Corrosion-resistant
• Resistant to acids and alkalis
• Easy to clean
• Durability similar to that of stainless steel
• Cannot flake
• Lighter than stainless steel
• Cost-effective alternative to stainless steel
• Dissipates heat more effectively than stainless steel

Follow the link for more information about Nord's nsd tupH surface treatment.