Innovative Separator Concepts directdrive

The new series of separators with the integrated GEA Westfalia Separator directdrive can be used in multiple areas of application. This new drive concept offers advantages specifically with its much reduced level of maintenance requirement and the resultant higher level of availability.

GEA Westfalia Separator Group is presenting the directdrive at ACHEMA, and is for the first time showing the whole spectrum of this series with integrated direct drive for applications in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, mineral processing and the field of renewable resources. Duties that are constantly gaining in complexity make one thing quite clear: to be able to serve these demanding markets successfully, customized high-end solutions had to be developed. This diversity is reflected in the wide range of design variants.

By way of example, the directdrive is based on a gastight design with nitrogen blanketing, and is certified in compliance with the ATEX directive for use in explosion-hazarded zones.

The models of the directdrive series have a fully automatic CIP system; aseptic and closed processing, optimum cleaning and reliable conformity with GMP requirements are also realized for specific process techniques.

The GEA Westfalia Separator finetuner additionally enables optimum separation of the two product phases. The separating zone can be adjusted to the optimum working point while the machine is running.

Integrated direct drive - efficient and service friendly
The direct route is generally the most efficient. This is also applicable for the drive of a separator. If the energy used in such solutions is transferred by way of a direct connection from the motor to the bowl, energy losses are minimal. With the directdrive, the motor is housed completely in the frame of the separator. The bowl spindle serves simultaneously as the motor shaft. The integrated direct drive can therefore also be used in normal heights. There is consequently no separate motor shaft, no motor bearing, no coupling – and thus also no wear affecting these components. In addition, the component is used in conjunction with standard robust asynchronous motors which can be controlled with any normal frequency converter. With these frequency converters, infinitely variable speed regulation has been provided in a specified speed range with the integrated direct drive.

The directdrive is thus very service-friendly. This is because the direct drive does not need numerous sensitive components such as bearings or belts: parts which do not exist do not have to be maintained. At the same time, it is extremely compact, which is the same as saying that it has a lower space requirement. The bowl can be removed easily as a single part from the frame, or the motor can be disassembled together with the drive as a single entity, thus considerably reducing the downtimes for maintenance work.