Practical example: drive technology at Van der Zalm Metaalindustrie in Brakel

Revision of a soil purification installation

It was an extensive and challenging project as the unit was equipped with a wide variety of drive technology. Most of it could be replaced by SEW-EURODRIVE drives.

In the small village of Brakel, in the municipality of Zaltbommel, province of Gelderland, ‘Van der Zalm’ is a known name. Since 1993 Kees van der Zalm has been extending his one-man business to the company that it is today: Van der Zalm Metaalindustrie, expert in heavy steel constructions. He started making fences ...

From garden fence to steel construction

Figure 7 - Combustion drum is hoisted on frame

After welding garden fences and commercial vehicles new challenges loomed up, i.e. the construction of stairs and small bridges. And gradually the current large metal work followed: the design, construction and assembly of huge steel constructions for civil engineering and for the industry.

To this end Van der Zalm Metaalindustrie disposes of an immense industrial estate where steel can be modified in many different ways. In the preparation hall, steel is cut to shape, perforated, milled, rolled and sawn. In the production hall people are welding and assembling, but not before the project is first engineered in detail, compiled and prepared.

When the construction is ready, it can be dispatched with own special transport and mounted on the spot by own people. Van der Zalm employees can be found on offshore installations and in ports for the assembly of tube pole constructions or mooring facilities.

Examples of appealing projects are the Dafne Schippersbrug, the bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal in Utrecht, the Park bridge in Maastricht, tubular piles of 50 m long, floating jetties, wheelhouse and accommodation of a ship, mooring posts, walkways and pontoons.

Project impressions

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Soil purification installation for Qatar

We were pleasantly surprised when Van der Zalm – further to a previous successfully performed bridge project – sent us an inquiry for several SEW geared motors for a soil purification installation at the beginning of February 2018.

The company had secured the order to completely overhaul a 2008 soil purification installation. The installation’s final destination would be Qatar, where the whole unit should arrive mid July 2018 by ship.

It turned out to be an extensive and challenging project as the unit was equipped with a wide variety of drive technology. For example American Dodge gear boxes and motors were applied, for among other things the drive of the combustion drum (figure 2). But the installation also contained European brand motors and drive systems, including some SEW drives, such as two KAF127R77 DV1004 type drives on the breaker (figure 3).

Total drive technology supplier

Figure 4 - Conveyor belt revision: KA77/T DRN100L4/TF instead of KA77/T DV100L4

At Van der Zalm’s request, we first made an overview of all drives in the installation and then examined, on the basis of calculations, if replacement SEW products could be offered.

The result was that 90-95% of all electrical and mechanical drive technology could be replaced by SEW components.

Here the fact of having a wide product range appeared to be a great asset. We could fully live up to our image of being a total supplier of drive technology.

We look back on a professional and pleasant cooperation with the staff of Van der Zalm!