Annual Report 2009 UK - Bonfiglioli

Operations involving wind turbine generators
Management Report
This sector is in continuous development, keeping pace with the improvements made by various lea-
ding constructors to their machines in order to tackle the increasingly tough competition created by
new market players, particularly from Asia: Chinese, Korean, Indian. This calls for a reduction in the
costs/performance ratio, that also affects the gearboxes in question.
In this area work was carried out to develop a number of consolidated products, introducing con-
structive solutions aimed at cutting industrial production costs, at the same time maintaining perfor-
mance levels or even increasing them.
Along with continuing efforts were made to personalise products in terms of capacity to interface
with the different types of generator and the technical specifications released by the various con-
structors.
Gearboxes for drive tracked machine tools
The design of the gearbox model at the top of the 720C range was reviewed in order to improve its
performance and thereby raise the output torque rate from the former 220,000 Nm to 250,000 Nm,
and thereby be applied on excavators of up to 120 tons in weight.
In addition, a further size was designed to take up the new highest position in the range with an ou-
tput torque rate of 330,000 Nm. It will be adapted to tracked machines, such as drillers and cranes,
with weight class of 250 tons and excavators up to 160 tons. The company proceeded with the deve-
lopment of numerous versions dedicated to special applications, co-designed with leading customers.
Gearboxes for machine tool wheel drives
Models in a number of medium sizes from the current range were designed with the dynamic drive
brake as a means of assisting the hydrostatic transmission during deceleration and shutdown. This
function is additional to the previous static parking and emergency brake system previously adopted.
This feature was introduced to meet safety regulations currently in force applying to approval of
machines circulating on public roads with the maximum speed raised to 50 km/h. The multi disk-oil
bath brake has twin drive, positive under the direct modulated control of the operator, for dynamic
braking, and negative for parking and emergency braking. One of the main applications for which
these products are designed are self-propelled agricultural machines, such as cereal and forage har-
vesters and sprayers, used above all in the continent of North America.
Additional personalised models of the gearbox for rubberised compressor roller wheel drives were
also developed, following the success this product had on the market in the original version.
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Annual Report 2009