GEARS & GEARBOXES FEATURE With its ability to provide standard
products as well as develop solutions to meet specific application needs, Radicon’s gearboxes are being used in applications across the world where
their ‘built to last’ design offers benefits for a wide range of industries
A DESIGN BUILT TO LAST I
n the 87 years since the Radicon name first appeared, over 3.5 million gearboxes
have been sold – and that total is increasing daily. The company, which is based in Elland, West Yorkshire, can, however, trace its heritage back even further – to 1860 and the David Brown Group. David Brown first used the Radicon moniker in
1933 as the brand name for a new range of worm gears – and the model was so popular it became a generic name for all worm units. Today, Radicon is owned by Elecon, Asia’s largest and fastest- growing gear manufacturer, which bought the company from David Brown in 2010. Today, a team of 50 people supply over 5,000 gearboxes and repair some 300 units every year. Richard Irons, general manager,
takes up the story: “We still design and manufacture worm gears, but as well as the traditional standard product offering of worm gears, geared motors, couplings and industrial reducers, we also offer custom engineered gearboxes. Our product offering has incredible flexibility, and the experience of our engineering design teams means we can design solutions to suit our customer’s exact requirements in a wide range of applications and industries.” With sales and manufacturing sites across
Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America, the company works with customers across a broad spectrum of industries. In particular, you will find Radicon’s gearboxes working in cement factories, the water industry, food production, material handling, mines, oil and gas power production, sugar factories, quarrying, pulp and paper factories, and the steel industry, amongst others.
A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE Over the years, Radicon’s team have developed a comprehensive range of gearboxes. “We have a proven track record of problem- solving,” continued Irons. “Today, we have a core product offering of 20 different types of gearboxes, motors, pumps and couplings. Our standard products are sold direct to customers and through our extensive network of distributors. This is just one aspect of our business though. We are often approached by
customers looking for something unique to solve their individual problem. Our team spend a lot of time looking at how best to tailor our core products to suit unique applications.” At the start of 2020, Hongsa Power in Laos
ordered eight Radicon gearboxes to help it extend its coal field conveyors. This record- breaking order comprised four Radicon K3-32s, three K3-26s and a single K3-33. Each drive
gearboxes for several reasons,” commented Irons. “The quality of advice we offer; our ability to solve problems and create bespoke solutions; the fact that we offer ongoing support through our service and maintenance packages; and because of the high quality of the product. They’re built to last.” In fact Irons and his team recently ran an
appeal on social media to find the oldest Radicon gearbox still operating today. The Norfolk Feather Company won the competition, with a gearbox that was bought on 13th April 1938. The company, which supplies Harrods with pillows, paid £36.15 for the unit and has certainly got value for money from it! Today, it is running for nine hours a day, two or three days a week, curling duck feathers for pillows.
MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS As well as manufacturing and selling gearboxes, Radicon has formed a unique partnership with PCMS Engineering to deliver a full suite of intelligent maintenance solutions. By
package weighed over 25 tonnes and were all mounted on baseplates with brakes and forced lubrication systems. They are all dual handed and were coupled to the drive shaft by rigid flange couplings. The industrial reducer offered gives high load carrying capacities, increased efficiency, quiet running and reliability. The drives were designed to work alongside
units supplied from other manufacturers, matching the exact ratio and major interface dimensions, allowing the customer to use both brands on the same conveyor. “Seeing these gearboxes leave
our factory was incredibly satisfying,” explained Irons. “They were the largest drives we have ever handled here in Elland and it shows that we can supply high powered conveyor drive packages not just to customers in the UK but around the world.”
WHY SPECIFY RADICON GEARBOXES? “I think people opt for our
DESIGN SOLUTIONS | JUNE 2020 19
offering condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, components are changed on condition rather than periodically. This saves Radicon’s customers money and increases reliability and gearbox lifetime. It’s therefore not surprising then that the
prize on offer in Radicon’s search for the oldest operating gearbox was a full service!
Radicon
www.radicon.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
