Australia’s bulk handlers are becoming more reliant on the precision engineering and cutting-edge technology of SEW-EURODRIVE.
When critical equipment fails, the cost of downtime can escalate rapidly. For SEW-EURODRIVE national service manager Robert Justice, the challenge is not just fixing problems, but anticipating them and engineering them out.
Justice oversees a growing national network of service facilities, each designed to support the lifecycle of industrial gear units across some of the country’s most demanding industries. From Mackay to Newcastle, Melbourne to Adelaide, and soon Perth, these hubs form the backbone of SEW-EURODRIVE’s service strategy.
“At a core level, our service offering is about inspection, repair, and remanufacturing of rotating equipment,” Justice said. “That can range from conventional gear motors right through to large, bespoke gearboxes used in mills, crushers, and heavy-duty applications.”
But what differentiates SEW-EURODRIVE is not just the breadth of its capabilities, it’s the depth of its engineering approach.
Raising the bar with load testing
A defining feature of the company’s service operations is its investment in load testing facilities. These high-value systems are designed to simulate real-world operating conditions before equipment is returned to site.
“We can load gear assemblies up to their rated power and torque,” Justice said. “That gives customers confidence that what they’re getting back has been fully tested and meets performance expectations.”
Facilities in Mackay and Newcastle are equipped with 500kW load testing systems, while the Adelaide site boasts a 1MW system, the largest in the company’s Australian network. These capabilities allow SEW-EURODRIVE to validate repairs and new builds under controlled conditions, effectively eliminating guesswork.
“It’s about quality assurance,” Justice added. “Clients want certainty, and load testing gives them that.”
Another area of growth for SEW-EURODRIVE is third-party equipment servicing. While traditionally associated with its own products, the company has expanded its capabilities to service non-SEW equipment, a move driven by market and customer demand.
“There’s a lot of equipment out there that isn’t ours,” Justice says. “But customers still want high-quality service, and we’ve had a lot of success stepping into that space.”
This approach is underpinned by a strict adherence to internal quality standards. Every unit undergoes full disassembly and inspection, and any component that does not meet SEW-EURODRIVE’s benchmarks is replaced.
“If it doesn’t meet our standards, it doesn’t go back in,” Justice says. “It’s as simple as that.”
The power of 3D scanning
At the heart of SEW-EURODRIVE’s modern service offering is its use of advanced 3D scanning technology, an innovation that is providing the company new and innovative ways of doing things.
“Scanning has become a critical tool for us,” Justice explains. “It allows us to capture precise data on components and entire assemblies, even when original drawings no longer exist.”
The technology is particularly valuable in legacy applications, where ageing equipment can present significant challenges. In one recent project, SEW-EURODRIVE was tasked with replacing a gearbox and motor assembly that dated back several decades.
“The unit was extremely old, potentially 50 or 60 years, and there were no drawings available,” Justice said. “On top of that, the site was difficult to access, which made traditional measurement methods impractical.”
Using portable scanning equipment, the service team was able to capture a complete digital model of the existing setup, including shaft positions, bolt locations, and surrounding infrastructure. This data was then used to design a “drop-in” replacement, an engineered solution that could be installed with no modification.
“We were able to design a unit that matched the original footprint exactly,” Justice said. “Bolt-for-bolt, shaft-for-shaft.”
The result was a seamless installation process, with no need for rework or on-site adjustments, a critical advantage in remote or high-risk environments.
“The client was over the moon,” he said. “There’s always a bit of apprehension when you introduce new technology, especially in this industry. But once they saw the outcome, that confidence was there immediately.”
Engineering confidence
While 3D scanning and load testing represent the technological edge of SEW-EURODRIVE’s offering, Justice said people remain at the core of the business.
“We’ve got dedicated service engineers, degree-qualified mechanical engineers, working alongside our technicians,” he said. “That’s a key point of difference.”
This combination of hands-on experience and engineering expertise allows the company to go beyond repair work, offering detailed failure analysis and performance insights.
“If a gearbox fails, whether it’s SEW’s or a third party, we can investigate and provide a clear understanding of what went wrong,” Justice said. “That helps customers make better decisions moving forward.”
A lifecycle approach
SEW-EURODRIVE’s service philosophy extends well beyond the initial repair or replacement. Ongoing support and aftermarket engagement are integral to its operations, ensuring that equipment continues to perform long after it leaves the workshop.
“Our relationship with customers doesn’t end when the job is done,” Justice said. “We stay involved, we monitor performance, and we’re there to support them through the entire lifecycle of their equipment.”
This approach is built on a reputation for quality that the company has developed over decades in the market.
“We’ve always positioned ourselves as a premium provider,” he said. “That’s something we’ve carried through from our new product offering into service.
“It’s about consistency, delivering the same level of quality and reliability across everything we do.”
As SEW-EURODRIVE continues to expand its national footprint, the focus remains on enhancing capability and responding to evolving market needs. The planned addition of a Perth facility will further strengthen its reach, particularly in Western Australia’s resource-heavy regions.
For Justice, the future of industrial gear servicing lies in the integration of advanced technologies with robust engineering fundamentals.
“Technology like 3D scanning is a gamechanger,” he said. “But it’s only effective if you’ve got the expertise behind it to interpret the data and apply it.”
“We’re not just fixing equipment. We’re giving customers confidence that their operations will keep moving, no matter how complex the challenge.”
