09/07/2026 • Hillhead is one of the most important events in the quarrying and mining calendar, and this year SEW-EURODRIVE returned for the first time in a decade with a range of exhibits that reflected where drive engineering is heading.
Bringing smarter, more efficient, more adaptable, gears and technology built for the real demands of the industry, here's a closer look of what we had on show, and why it matters to the quarrying, mining, and construction industry leaders of today.
We had multiple large industrial gears on show, but our X series industrial gear unit was on the must-see list for many this year, and something our team was excited to show off.
With cut aways showing its internal mechanisms, our team showed how data from the visible bearings inside generates operational data which feeds into our IoT monitoring suite DriveRadar®. This in turn analyses patterns to catch any issues that are bubbling under the surface before they develop into failures.
For quarrying and mining operations, where unplanned stoppages can be extremely costly, this kind of early warning capability is increasingly essential.
The P-X.e series of planetary gear units we had on display have been developed for apron feeders, the type of conveyor used in mining to move heavy, abrasive material. The challenge is that the power needed to start these conveyors moving can be many times greater than what's needed to keep them running, and standard gear units aren't always designed for that kind of ratio.
However, this unit is, and it's compact enough to fit in constrained spaces while delivering the high gear ratios these applications demand.
TheP.2 generation planetary gearbox is a coaxial, meaning the input and output shafts share the same axis, letting rotational power pass straight through without needed to be turned at an angle.
Available in two and three-stage versions, its headline feature is thermal performance. A built-in jacket flow cooling system means it can reach best-in-class thermal limits without needing any bulky external cooling equipment, minimising floor space and budget take up.
It's also part of our modular system, meaning it can be configured to suit a wide range of applications.
The latest stage in the development of the tried and tested X series, Generation X.e represents a different kind of engineering approach, designed from the ground up to be matched to specific customer requirements.
This means you get a drive suited to your exact operational conditions, delivering higher efficiency, space and weight savings on your plant, and better long-term reliability with redesigned bearings and more resistant housings.
Forming a key part of this series are our X.e agitators, which take the technology behind our X.e gear unit range and apply it to one of the most precisely specified application categories in industrial drive engineering: agitators and mixers. Three qualities define them: energy efficiency, safe operation, and low maintenance requirements.
The X.e agitators demonstrate how a core set-up can be translated into a product that meets the specific demands of a defined application area, rather than a general, one size fits all solution.
Not every challenge on a site requires new equipment. Our industrial gear repair solutions range covers retrofit, drop-in replacement, and full overhaul options, as well as reverse engineering of parts that may no longer be commercially available.
For operations running older gear units that are still fundamentally sound, our team talked to Hillhead attendees about how this is worth exploring for extending service life and diverting production budget to the most critical parts of your processes.
We also had a painted helical-bevel gearmotor, the KA127, on the stand - a chance to see the quality of finish and presentation that's possible. It's a small thing, but for those specifying equipment for visible installations that require on-brand colours, it's a useful reference point.
Our grouped Power and Energy Solutions display showed how reducing peak loads can lower your costs in the long term, by using a power and energy management system tailored to your application.
Part of our MOVI-C automation system, the display brought together equipment including two different double layer capacity energy storage systems, DC link capacitor storage, single axis and double axis modules, switched-mode power supply modules, and our safety-capable controller.
The DC and AC infrastructure, available in any combination, offers scalability, whilst storage capacitors reduce energy costs, and the high availability of production cells ensures uninterrupted system operation even when power fails.
Hillhead 2026 gave us the chance to show what our equipment can do in context beyond a specification sheet. We were proud to get so many compliments on our set up too, and especially pleased to be awarded the Materials Handling Engineers' Association (MHEA) Best Member Stand.
It was great to catch up with current customers and start conversations with new customers about what we can offer here at SEW-EURODRIVE, whether that’s industrial gears or new technology to boost reliability across quarrying, construction, and mining operations.
Didn’t get chance to come see us? Email info@sew-eurodrive.co.uk to kick off a conversation with our expert team.