The sorting and distribution center in Melbourne, Australia, boasts the capability to process up to 35,000 parcels per hour, making Toll IPEC, the nation's largest freight carrier, a standout player in the rapidly growing e-commerce logistics sector. BCS, their transportation solution partner, developed a modular smart device that efficiently handles the collection, sorting, and loading of packages onto trucks. When configuring the drive units, BCS turned to the expertise of the Nordstrom Drive Group, opting for numerous Nord transmissions due to their ease of installation and maintenance.
*Fig. 1: Over 1,000 motors powering various conveyor belts in modular equipment at parcel distribution centers.*
Melbourne's state-of-the-art distribution center can sort 35,000 parcels per hour, with Toll IPEC tripling its domestic business and the international airport serving as a major hub. This makes it the fastest parcel sorting center in Oceania. To achieve this, equipment manufacturer BCS designed and built automation equipment featuring more than 1,000 conveyor modules. These modules manage everything from parcel reception to registration, equipment tracking, system-wide control, high-speed sorting, and truck loading. During this process, conveyors often stretch for hundreds of meters, requiring frequent adjustments to belt speeds and directional changes. "We need over 1,000 drives," explained Frank Kassai, BCS Group's engineering manager. "These range from 0.37 to 5.5 kW."
### Single-Source Driver Package
Nordstrom Drive Group tailored the drive equipment specifications based on their internally manufactured geared motors and frequency converters. Their primary product, the NORDBLOC.1 two-stage spiral bevel gear reducer, was specifically designed for internal logistics applications. Compact and easy to operate, these gear motors are durable and boast a long service life. With a broad gear ratio (i = 3.58 to 70), they can be precisely configured for diverse requirements. For BCS, it's crucial that the gear motors fit various shaft sizes without altering the shaft design. This allows BCS to manage multiple conveyor modules with varying drive devices effectively. Kassai also emphasized the high efficiency of the gear motors. The frequency converters are designed for transportation applications, allowing electronic drives to integrate seamlessly into mechatronic drives. The NORDAC FLEX frequency converter series ranges from 0.25 to 22 kW, and its interfaces for common fieldbuses (like Industrial Ethernet) can connect AC vector motors to the system controller.
*Fig. 2: The drive comprises an extended spiral bevel gear reducer, a high-efficiency motor, and NORDAC FLEX inverters.*
### Simplified Installation and Maintenance
"Toll represents BCS's largest express delivery project in Australia," Kassai noted. "Thus, the installation and commissioning must go smoothly. Thanks to the ready-to-use driver packages from NORD, which come pre-installed and pre-configured, we save significant commissioning time." Each unit is labeled with an ordered number corresponding to its designated location, simplifying the matching of conveyor modules during setup. Hollow-shaft gear motors can be mounted directly onto the machine shaft using a shrink disc. They are equipped with a single-point torque arm, reducing installation effort compared to the eight-screw flange mounting. Kassai added, "Nord offers plug-and-play connections, making maintenance simpler. Technicians can replace motor drive units within minutes without needing an electrician to reconnect them." Each AC vector motor also comes with a maintenance switch for safe power disconnection. Replacing an AC vector motor involves transferring parameters via a pluggable EEPROM module.
*Fig. 3: Drive electronics include maintenance switches for safe power disconnection and easy replacement.*
### Integrated Load Monitoring and Braking Management
Given Nord's advanced drive electronics, they offer fully integrated plug-and-play drive units, significantly reducing BCS's wiring efforts. Distributed frequency converters feature robust mechanics, high overload capacity, and can handle fluctuations in supply voltage or rapid temperature changes. Integrated protection mechanisms eliminate the need for additional control cabinet components like motor protection switches and reversing contactors. The inverter monitors overvoltage, undervoltage, overheating, short circuits, grounding faults, and overcurrent (I2t), preventing shutdowns, motor damage, or network interference. At Toll IPEC's distribution center, Nord's products primarily drive horizontal and inclined conveyors, with lifting technology being another standard application. The frequency converter supports four-quadrant operation, enabling acceleration and braking in both directions. It ensures wear-free braking, precise speed control, high starting torque, and safe torque.
*Fig. 4: NORDAC FLEX Distributed Drives can handle both horizontal and inclined conveyors while managing complex braking related to tilted loads.*
### Conclusion
This distribution center isn't the first collaboration between BCS and Nordstrom Group, nor will it be the last. Beyond this equipment, they've also worked together on baggage handling systems at Australian airports. The foundation of their long-term partnership lies in Nord's reliable customer service consistently meeting BCS's high expectations. Kassai stated, "We're very satisfied with Nord, and there are no issues."
### About Nord Drive Group
As a developer and manufacturer of drive technology, Nord Drive Group has been in existence for over 50 years with 3,400 employees worldwide. It ranks among the top global providers of comprehensive and integrated drive solutions. Nord's product range includes standard drives and specialized custom solutions such as energy-efficient or explosion-proof drives. In 2016, Nord's sales reached approximately 560 million euros. Nord operates subsidiaries in 89 countries, ensuring the shortest delivery times and prompt customer service. Nord's transmissions cover a torque range of 10 Nm to 250,000 Nm, producing motors with outputs from 0.12 kW to 1,000 kW, along with electrical controls like 160 kW inverters and servo controllers. Nord provides both traditional centralized cabinet inverters and integrated machine products for distributed control.
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