Rossi La Mercy

Early in May, members of SASTA were invited to visit Rossi’s facility in La Mercy. Rossi, a global leader in industrial gearbox manufacturing, invited SASTA to view the largest planetary drive of the Rossi product range.

The SASTA group were also treated to a tour of their operations and given an overview of Rossi’s recent contributions to the sugar industry. SASTA members were able to inspect the planetary drive and marvel at this extraordinary piece of engineering. The planetary drive was due to be installed at Illovo’s Ubombo mill as part of a major relocation project. This drive features an impressive nominal torque of 3 000 kN.m and a peak torque of 4 500 kN.m. The total weight of the drive, including the motor, is approximately 32 tons.

The highly modular design is a key feature of the drive and makes it easy to stock and customise for various applications. Rossi utilizes planetary stages and incorporates a bevel-helical unit as a serviceable primary input gearbox. This approach helps to keep maintenance costs manageable. Rossi also shared details of another project – a multiple gearbox mill drive application – marking the first of its kind in Southern Africa in over three decades.

The visit provided an insightful look at local engineering capabilities and highlighted Rossi’s commitment to supporting innovation and development in the sugar sector.

Learn more about Rossi in South Africa.