A slewing drive combines a slewing ring bearing, a worm drive and a housing in one unit. It carries axial, radial and moment loads while giving precise, controlled rotation, which is exactly what solar trackers and wind turbines need.
Solar trackers
Solar trackers turn the panels to follow the sun through the day. Single-axis and dual-axis trackers both depend on slewing drives for smooth, accurate movement, and tracking is widely reported to raise energy yield by up to 30% compared with fixed-tilt arrays.
- More energy: panels stay aligned with the sun from morning to evening.
- Holding position: the worm drive holds the array against wind loads.
- Durability: drives built for outdoor service run for years in heat, cold, dust and rain.
- Low maintenance: a sealed, robust drive keeps servicing to a minimum, which matters on a large solar farm.
Wind turbines
- Yaw: the yaw system turns the nacelle to face the wind; slewing drives provide the controlled rotation and hold it in position.
- Pitch: the pitch system sets the blade angle to control rotor speed and power, and protects the turbine in severe weather.
For the bearings in pitch and yaw systems, see slewing rings in wind turbines.
Built for harsh conditions
Renewable installations are rarely gentle. Drives for them need to cope with:
- temperature extremes, from desert heat to icy offshore sites
- corrosion from salt water, sand and moisture
- heavy loads and high winds acting on panels and blades
Configuration options
From residential trackers to utility-scale farms, SlewPro slewing drives are modular, with:
- Single or double worm drives for different torque and load requirements (see how to choose)
- Hydraulic, electric or pneumatic motors
- Encoders and brakes for control and stability
- Open or enclosed housings for dust, wind and weather
SlewPro drives are engineered to cross over the major brands, so they fit existing trackers as well as new designs, with tilting-moment capacities from 1,475 to 200,000 ft-lb. For anything outside the standard range, our engineers design custom drives.
Find the right drive
Explore the enclosed FGE series, the FWA series and our other slewing drives, or contact us about a custom drive for your tracker or turbine.