Specialists in the design and manufacture of specialised screen, transmission and materials handling products – Oscillating Systems Technology Africa (OST-Africa) – offers the market robust self-tensioning motor bases, developed to enhance the efficiencies of power transmission systems.
“The OST-Africa team works closely with our customers looking for smarter ways to increase productivity, while lowering operational costs. As part of our commitment to deliver more efficient industrial solutions, the company has made a substantial investment in the advancement of our self-tensioning motor bases, which were launched over 30 years,” explains Chantelle Scheepers, Marketing Manager, OST-Africa, part of Invicta Holdings Limited. “OST self-tensioning motor bases enable quick and accurate change out and tensioning of V-belts, to ensure optimum machine performance and permanent alignment. Other advantages include reduced maintenance, replacement and labour costs, minimal downtime and extended service life of the system.
“OST self-tensioning motors successfully address three critical areas in power transmission – efficiency, which is key to operational performance, vibration prevention to protect equipment and to extend V-belt lifespan.”
According to specialists, it is critical in all power transmissions systems to focus on high efficiency by minimising power and speed loss. In conventional systems, V-belt slippage is a common and costly issue that leads to significant losses – sometimes in excess of 10% – in power (kW) and speed (rpm). This not only wastes energy but also impacts production speed and output.
OST motor bases have been designed to mitigate power and speed losses by automatically maintaining optimal belt tension, ensuring the motor operates at its intended output levels. This results in fewer interruptions, reduced downtime and more reliable power transmission.
Excessive vibration is another consequence of V-belt slippage, leading to premature wear of components, where bearings are damaged, shafts overheat and with continued use, entire assemblies require replacement – all contributing to costly downtime and repairs.
OST motor bases are equipped with a Neidhart unit, which effectively absorbs and neutralises vibration. The rubber inside the Neidhart unit has the capacity to be pre-tensioned, retaining torsional force and releasing it when necessary. This results in smoother operation and significantly lower maintenance demands.
OST motor bases maintain the V-belt at its optimal tension, as specified by the V-belt manufacturer, to ensure durability and extend the belt’s service life. With “set-it-and-forget-it” alignment, this solution minimises the need for constant monitoring and manual adjustments. In conventional systems, V-belt maintenance is traditionally time-consuming and misalignment, corrosion and tension inconsistencies reduce belt lifespan.
OST self-tensioning motor bases are designed for use in many applications, including pumps, crushers, mills, fans, feeders, belt conveyors and other V-belt driven systems.
The team offers a technical advisory, support and repair service throughout southern Africa.
