High operational reliability, energy efficiency and flexibility in all segments of wastewater treatment

The numerous challenges in the wastewater industry range from sustainably increasing efficiency to reducing costs in the long term.

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS not only understands these challenges, but also meets them with a broad product portfolio suitable for the many different applications in the wastewater industry.

Our drive solutions are characterized by their efficiency, reliability and high level of specialization.

Drive Solutions for Wastewater Treatment

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS designs, engineers, and manufactures scalable drive solutions for all segments of the wastewater treatment industry. Our drive solutions are efficient, reliable, and highly-specialized for precise application needs.

NORD motors therefore meet the latest international energy requirements and help to minimize CO₂ emissions. Service and maintenance-friendly drives reduce downtimes, thus ensuring the availability of the entire system. Gear units from NORD are extremely robust, operate very quietly and achieve a particularly long service life.

The reliability and cost-effectiveness of NORD drive solutions have proven themselves in the wastewater industry throughout the world.

High performance in continuous operation of ventilation systems

Brush aerators are one of the most important processes in wastewater treatment. They are crucial for the oxygen supply in clarifiers and tanks. The increased supply of oxygen feeds microorganisms in the use of a biological treatment process, which is essential for the decomposition of organic substances and the treatment of pollutants.

The use of NORD drives in aeration systems offers decisive advantages. The high performance that NORD drives can provide, even in continuous operation, and the low maintenance requirements ensure greater efficiency and therefore cost savings. Energy-efficient drives further increase the savings potential and sustainability. With a compact block housing and special design of the output cover to protect the oil seals, NORD ensures a long service life for its gear units.

Configuration options for surface and brush aerator applications:

  • MAXXDRIVE or flat gear unit
  • Highly efficient electric motor that meets the latest international requirements
  • NEMA/IEC adapter
  • Vertical and horizontal alignment options
  • Advanced sealing system
  • Modular flange and bearing solutions
  • High radial and axial load capacity

Reliable solutions for efficient pump applications

Pumps play a central role in conveying wastewater in the wastewater treatment process. As the link between the various phases of the purification process, they are crucial for the transportation of wastewater, sewage sludge and other treated liquids. This places different demands on the complex pump applications and their drives.

NORD gear units optimize pump efficiency and prevent backups so that systems within the plant run smoothly and water is transported from one process to the next. NORD's energy-efficient gear units, motors and frequency inverters ensure maximum reliability and therefore low energy costs.

Thanks to high-quality surface protection options, they are corrosion-resistant and the advanced QUADRALIPTM sealing system prevents leaks.

Configuration options for worm pump applications:

  • Helical gearbox
  • Highly efficient electric motor that meets the latest international requirements
  • NEMA/IEC adapter
  • Advanced sealing system
  • Wide range of low gear ratios possible

Effective filtration in clarifiers

The filtration of solids, pollutants and other contaminants in clarifiers is a crucial process in wastewater treatment. Reliable operation is necessary to effectively improve water quality and ensure compliance with environmental standards. The use of skimmers in the clarifier enables the removal of further impurities and therefore complements the filter systems used.

For filtration and skimmer applications, reliable gear units from NORD ensure low downtimes and high efficiency of the overall system thanks to low maintenance costs, precise control options and special surface protection options. Energy-efficient drives from NORD impress with their usual performance and meet the latest international energy requirements.

Configuration options for skimmer applications:

  • Bevel gearbox or parallel shaft gearbox
  • Highly efficient electric motor that meets the latest international requirements
  • NEMA/IEC adapter
  • Advanced sealing system

Robust drive technology for sludge thickening

The process step of sludge thickening, in which water is separated and the remaining solids are concentrated, poses various challenges - high loads, wear, corrosion and blockages.

Drive systems from NORD overcome most of these challenges using a combination of frequency inverter technology and geared motors. The speed of the paddles in the basins is optimized using the flexible control options of NORD frequency inverters with the integrated PLC function. This efficiently increases the solids concentration and reduces the free water. The robust design of the NORD drives in the block housing and with reinforced drive shaft extension offers a long service life and reduced maintenance requirements.

Configuration options for agitating and mixing applications:

  • MAXXDRIVE or parallel shaft gear unit
  • Highly efficient electric motor that meets the latest
  • international requirements
  • NEMA/IEC adapter
  • Vertical and horizontal alignment options
  • Advanced sealing system
  • Modular flange and bearing solutions
  • High radial and axial load capacity
  • SAFOMI adapter

Automation of mechanical cleaning screens

As the first critical step in wastewater treatment, screening is decisive for the efficiency and performance of the entire plant. Therefore, automation of the mechanical cleaning screens in the clarifier using NORD drive systems offers decisive advantages. The cost-effective improvement of process sequences and maximization of the screening capacity is achieved by frequency inverters close to the motor. In addition, this results in lower labor costs, better flow conditions and higher screening capacity.

The use of MAXXDRIVE industrial gearboxes or parallel shaft gearboxes in a one-piece block housing in agitator and mixing applications offers important advantages, such as a compact design and simple installation. Thanks to the use of high-quality materials and precise manufacturing, NORD gear units are designed for a long service life. Protection class IP66, leak-free operation thanks to AUTOVENT and biodegradable oils provide additional support. The SAFOMI IEC adapter has an integrated oil compensation volume, which means that there is no need for attachment and wear parts (e.g. oil tank, drive-side shaft seal). This results in even greater operational reliability and lower maintenance costs. NORD frequency inverters protect the drive system electronically and are able to visualize the operating data.

Configuration options for stirring and mixing applications:

  • MAXXDRIVE or flat gearbox
  • Highly efficient electric motor that meets the latest international requirements
  • NEMA/IEC adapter
  • Vertical and horizontal alignment options
  • Advanced sealing system
  • Modular flange and bearing solutions
  • High radial and axial load capacity
  • SAFOMI adapter

Efficient drive systems for screw pumps

Pumping heavily contaminated liquids, which often contain solid particles, requires powerful drive systems. The screw pumps used for this purpose can be reliably driven by NORD gear units with torque ranges of up to 282,000 Nm.

Furthermore, robust designs, innovative sealing systems and surface protection options ensure a long service life and reduced maintenance requirements. Thanks to flexible mounting solutions, the drives can be easily adapted to different requirements and space conditions. This means that NORD gear units can cope with the high flow rates and highly contaminated liquids transported by screw pumps.

Configuration options for worm pump applications:

  • Helical gear unit
  • Highly efficient electric motor that meets the latest international requirements
  • NEMA/IEC adapter
  • Advanced sealing system
  • Wide range of low gear ratios possible

Drive technology for wastewater systems

Drive solutions from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS are designed to be environmentally friendly and help to minimize CO₂ emissions. Frequency inverters ensure efficient operation, improved process control and optimized motor performance.

Failures must be avoided at all costs in waste water plants. Reliability is therefore at the heart of the development of our drive solutions. All components of our systems are precisely matched to each other and ensure smooth operation.

UNICASE™ Helical In-Line Gearmotor

  • Sizes: 11
  • Power: 0.12 - 160 kW
  • Torque: 10 - 26,000 Nm
  • Gear ratio: 1.35 - 14,340.31:1
  • Foot or flange-mounted design
  • Long service life, low maintenance
  • Optimum sealing
  • Block housing

To the product

UNICASE™ CLINCHER™ Parallel Shaft Gearmotor

  • Sizes: 15
  • Power: 0.12 - 200 kW
  • Torque: 110 - 100,000 Nm
  • Gear ratio: 4.03 - 15,685.03:1
  • Foot, flange or slip-on housing
  • Hollow or solid shaft
  • Compact design
  • Block housing

To the product

UNICASE™ helical bevel gearmotor

  • Sizes: 11
  • Power: 0.12 - 200 kW
  • Torque: 180 - 50,000 Nm
  • Gear ratio: 8.04 - 13,432.68:1
  • Foot, flange or slip-on housing
  • Hollow or solid shaft
  • Block housing

To the product

MAXXDRIVE® XC Right-Angle Gear Units

  • Sizes: 11
  • Power: 1.5 - 2,150 kW
  • Torque: 15,000 - 260,000 Nm
  • 3- and 4-stage
  • Heavy-duty, precision-manufactured one-piece housings
  • Modular & flexible design for optimum adaptation to your application
  • Low running noise

To the product

MAXXDRIVE® XC Parallel Gear Units

  • Sizes: 11
  • Power: 1.5 - 6,000 kW
  • Torque: 15,000 - 282,000 Nm
  • Gear ratio: 5.54 - 30,000:1
  • Axle-parallel and right-angled gearbox
  • Highest axle accuracy
  • Long service life, low maintenance
  • Block housing

To the product

NORDAC BASE Variable Frequency Drive - SK 180E

  • Power range: 0.33 – 3 HP (0.25 – 2.2 kW)
  • Single-phase 110 - 120 V, 1/3-phase 200 - 240 V, 3-phase 380 - 500 V
  • Protection class: IP55, IP66
  • ATEX zone 22 3D

To the product

NORDAC FLEX Variable Frequency Drive - SK 200E

  • Sizes: 4
  • Voltage: 1~ 110 - 120 V, 1~ 200 - 240 V, 3 ~ 200 - 240 V, 3 ~ 380 - 500 V
  • Power: 0.25 - 22 kW
  • Energy saving function
  • Integrated POSICON positioning control
  • Integrated PLC

To the product

A6041 - Drive Solutions for Wastewater Treatment

A6041 - Drive Solutions for Wastewater Treatment
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Documentation Details

Wastewater treatment plant in Newport, OR (USA)

Robust, efficient, inexpensive, reliable and worldwide availability - these are the advantages of NORD drives for the wastewater industry. Andrew Grant extensively tested the properties of NORD drives at the Vance Avery Wastewater Treatment Plant in South Beach, Oregon, before using them.

To the reference

It was a proof of concept. We like to try before we buy and seeing that there’s no bypass for the aeration tank, I needed to make sure they would work as promised. As it turned out, we tested those units for two years and were quite happy with their performance. I’m quite pleased with the outcome, and glad that NORD and Motion Industries were able to provide us with such a robust solution. It’s been a great project.

Andrew Grant, Supervisor Vance Avery Wastewater Treatment Plant

Trade fairs & events

Visit us at trade fairs and find out in person about complete drive solutions from the NORD DRIVESYSTEMS modular product system.

Country   Trade Show City Date Booth
GB PUMP Centre Event Telford 2025-05-15 - 2025-05-15

Driven by your requirements

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has many years of experience in the waste water and fresh water industry We know your requirements and will be happy to advise you individually. Drive designs, corrosion protection, automation and digitalization - we are your point of contact.

Together we will find the right solution for you based on the extensive NORD modular drive system. The NORD Group is represented by its own companies in 36 countries and is therefore also your local partner.