Literally nothing in the world turns without drives, even in times of increasing digitalisation. No raw material is processed, no food is produced, no container is loaded, no energy is generated, no smartphone is produced without a gearbox being involved. Flender has been at home in drive technology worldwide for more than 120 years and equips almost all industries with drive products. From raw material extraction to transport and chemical processes: over 500,000 Flender gearboxes are currently in use around the world. A good 30 years after Flender defined the standard for industrial gearboxes with the Flender gearbox, the drive specialist is now presenting its successor at HANNOVER MESSE 2023: Flender One.

Individual, smart, efficient: Flender One to redefine industrial gearboxes

With the Flender One, the Bocholt-based company has set itself the goal of revolutionising the drive market once again and is therefore taking a new approach in which "standard" is no longer the main focus. In future, a Flender One gearbox will be produced exactly according to individual customer requirements. Thanks to a fully digital engineering process, it still takes less time from order to commissioning. It maximises efficiency, saves valuable energy and sets new standards in sustainability. Users and operators can configure it without assistance or transmission know-how. And it is said to be so smart that it simplifies maintenance and protects against breakdowns thanks to fully integrated sensor technology and onboard analytics. It is the next expansion stage of the Flender One platform for industrial gearboxes, which will be followed by further developments.

Complete digitalisation of the engineering process

Flender CEO Andreas Evertz: "The unique thing about Flender One is that it always meets the customer's requirements exactly and yet many things run completely automatically in the background without our customers having to think about them - over the entire life cycle from ordering to operation in the plant. One milestone is the complete digitalisation of the engineering process. Automatic design of components according to customer requirements without the need for human intervention. This is what the future of industry looks like."

Rouven Daniel, President Industrial Gears, adds: "Efficiency is above all. Every gearbox is designed to meet individual requirements. The customer gets exactly what he needs - not less and above all not more. To this end, we simplify and accelerate all processes, including predictive service. This saves time and money and contributes to climate protection through minimal use of resources."

Digital drive intelligence ensures maximum availability and reduces costs

Flender's new AIQ drive intelligence is also part of the Flender One platform. Thanks to integrated sensor technology and analysis functions, AIQ provides all relevant information about the drive during operation. The detailed condition monitoring of the individual components detects deviations from normal operation at an early stage and enables potentially damaging conditions to be identified. Service interventions can thus be carried out in good time, quickly and proactively, and tailored to the customer's needs. This saves resources and increases the availability of the system.

Close to the all-round carefree package

The Flender coupling portfolio is also digital thanks to AIQ. AIQ Detect enables production plants to be kept firmly in view and prevents a porous elastomer from causing the entire production to come to a standstill. Together with comprehensive services such as the retrofitting of old or third-party drives, Flender offers a complete package with which operators no longer have to think about the drive of their plants.

Drive technology that protects the climate

Sustainability is not only the focus of Flender One and AIQ. Flender was awarded the gold medal in the EcoVadis sustainability rating at the end of 2022 and is among the five percent of the most sustainable companies worldwide. The company is therefore dedicating its appearance at HANNOVER MESSE 2023 to humanity's greatest challenge and presenting how business and drive technology can contribute to climate protection. Flender CEO Andreas Evertz: "Our claim 'Flender is the partner of choice for a sustainable future' is no mere phrase. In all product developments, company divisions and our supply chains, we are constantly looking for potential to minimise the CO2 footprint and the waste of resources. Flender One is also a perfect example here. It shows how today, through product design, digitalisation and close cooperation with customers and suppliers, we can shape industrial processes in such a way that our planet remains liveable for future generations."

Flender will present its drive world and the new Flender One to the public at HANNOVER MESSE from 17 to 21 April 2023 at Stand D48 in Hall 6.

Video