Gear drives for infrastructure, bridges and locks
Infrastructure applications such as movable bridges, sluice gates, and lock systems are among the most demanding environments for gear drives. These installations must operate reliably over decades, often in exposed outdoor conditions with limited access for maintenance. A drive failure in a lock or bridge system can disrupt shipping traffic and cause significant economic consequences.
P. van der Wegen Gears has supplied gear drives to infrastructure clients including Rijkswaterstaat since the 1930s. This long-standing relationship reflects the reliability of our products in the field.
Sluice gate drives
Sluice gate drives must handle high torque at low speed, often under continuous load, while remaining sealed against water ingress and resistant to temperature variation. We design gearbox housings for sealed operation and select materials and surface treatments suited to the operating environment.
Movable bridge mechanisms
Drive systems for bascule bridges, swing bridges, and lifting bridges require precision gears that can handle the dynamic loads involved in moving large structural masses. We produce rack and pinion systems, slewing ring gears, and custom gearbox assemblies for bridge mechanisms, engineered to the load calculations provided by the structural engineer.
Engineering from drawing to delivery
Every infrastructure project includes full engineering documentation: technical drawings, load calculations, parts lists, and an instruction manual. For projects where operational certification is required, our documentation package meets the traceability requirements of the relevant authority.
A history of infrastructure supply
Our work with infrastructure clients goes back to the second generation of the van der Wegen family in the 1930s. The knowledge accumulated over that period forms part of how we approach every new infrastructure project today.