Back when the TA servo motor came to Schneeberg
A review of over 30 years of KEB Antriebstechnik
The KEB Antriebstechnik motor and gear unit plant in Schneeberg (Saxony) has been an integral part of the KEB Group since 1993. The company supplies machine and plant manufacturers all over the world with helical geared motors, worm geared motors, parallel shaft geared motors and bevel geared motors. During its more than 30 years of existence, the company has experienced transformation processes, cutbacks and the emergence of numerous innovations. Among these was the servo motor – a true success story made by KEB.
The history of geared motors in Schneeberg, Saxony, dates back to the end of the 1960s. After the commissioning of the new plant, production was continuously increased and reached an annual production value of around 350,000 geared motors in the mid-1980s. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent economic and political upheaval, the Schneeberg plant lost a number of customers and sales declined. At the beginning of 1993, the plant became part of the KEB Group, setting the course for a successful future.
Before reunification, the plant focussed on high production volumes with low product variance and dealer sales. The political upheaval radically changed the framework conditions. The primary objective was now to reorganise sales. The factory had to adapt to the changed customer requirements. In the early days, KEB still offered the original ZG series helical geared motors in a few different sizes. However, this product portfolio was not sufficient to survive on the market in the long term. The product programme was therefore adapted. The development of new product ranges, be it the parallel shaft gearbox, the bevel gearbox or even three-phase AC motors, was carried out with a limited development budget and a small core team. In combination with the employees' own initiative and motivation, this approach led to success in the end.
The servo motor as a highlight
The increasing demand from many customers in the machine and plant engineering sector for powerful yet very compact motors led to the development of a completely new type of motor at KEB - the TA servomotor. With its high power density, the servo motor has become increasingly important in automation and drive technology in recent years. The design of a servo motor differs from that of a classic three-phase motor due to customer requirements. However, it is not only the design that is different, but also the manufacturing technologies required for production. As the product has evolved in recent years, the manufacturing technologies have been continuously optimised and expanded. Another milestone was reached this year when a state-of-the-art facility for manufacturing the servo motor was put into operation. “Due to the higher level of automation and the linking of production steps through the use of robots, production can now be even more efficient. By increasing the performance of the system, the growth story of the servo motor can be continued,” says Stephan Weitkamp, Managing Director of Operations at KEB Antriebstechnik. For the employees, the introduction of the servo motor meant a new change in processes and habits. But this company milestone was also successfully completed.
“The TA servomotors with a permanent synchronous motor in six different sizes can be easily combined with the KEB modular gearbox system. This gives our customers the right solution for their individual application,” says Daniel Lehmann, Product Manager Motors. “The high power density of 400 V and 230 V across all sizes and speeds in combination with a torque of up to 90 Nm are also strong arguments in favour of the TA servo motor.”
It is not only the product that is technically impressive, but also the speed of production response and the flexibility of the plant. The TA servo motor is optimised for operation with the KEB Drive Controllers COMBIVERT F6 and S6. In combination, this creates a powerful drive system for dynamic machines. However, the series also impresses as individually used servomotors that can be installed in a compact and space-saving manner. KEB Antriebstechnik in Schneeberg is not resting on its success: The next development steps for the TA servomotors are already in the planning stage.