For many years, Siempelkamp Giesserei, Krefeld, Germany, has delivered high quality and demanding ring gear segments to Piet van der Wegen BV in Tilburg, Netherlands. The metal casting supplier manufactures 90 and 180-degree cast component segments that are screwed together via flange constructions to complete one 360-degree component. Siempelkamp casts these segments in high-alloyed ductile cast iron materials that meet the highest strength requirements. One of the important prerequisites of the ring gear sprockets is good wear resistance.
“Our cooperation is based on a high degree of trust and characterized by highest technical demands,” said Dirk Howe, sales manager, Siempelkamp. “The raw castings of these giant components must be 100% error-free. And in spite of the metallographic matrix, they need to feature homogeneity and sufficient hardness. Deviations would have fatal consequences within machining. We endeavor to eliminate this risk always in advance.”
The casting process is very complex with respect to mold technology. After determining the correct metallurgy, a high-temperature annealing takes place. The gear wheels have diameters of up to 16.5 m and raw casting weights of up to 180 tons. Following the trend towards bigger and bigger mills with gear rim drives in the field of mining, P.van der Wegen Gears recently invested in a new manufacturing site and is now able to machine ring gears of up to 22 m in diameter, which is unique in the world. Siempelkamp is equipped to meet the challenge of incoming orders for ever-bigger designed cast components for the milling industry.
Besides their good business relationship, Piet van der Wegen Gears BV, Netherlands, and Siempelkamp Giesserei, have much in common: both are looking back on more than 130 years of company history, both are family-owned since their foundation and also both are world market leaders in their business areas.