Drive Selection

Most of the drives we quote are sized in the same five steps. None of them are difficult, but skipping one of them is how a gearbox ends up running hot, or how a perfectly adequate frame gets replaced by one two sizes up for no reason.

Step one: start with the job, not the gearbox

Before any catalogue gets opened, we need to understand what the machine actually has to do: how much turning force it needs, how fast the output shaft should run, whether the load is smooth or comes in shocks, and how many hours a day it works. If you have those figures from the machine builder, send them. If you only have partial information, send that instead and we will work out the rest with you.

Step two: allow a sensible margin

The nominal figures never tell the whole story. Machines start under load, loads reverse, and thousands of hours of small shocks add up over the years. That is why every selection carries a working margin on top of the nominal requirement. A smooth-running conveyor needs less margin than a crusher that hammers its drive all shift, and a machine that runs around the clock needs more than one that runs an hour a day. We pick the margin from the duty you describe, not from guesswork.

Step three: match the frame and the motor

With the margin applied, we pick the smallest frame that comfortably covers the requirement, then choose the reduction ratio to suit the motor speed. Some drive types are inherently more efficient than others, which affects how much motor you need to buy for the same output — that trade-off is part of the recommendation, not something you discover on the electricity bill later.

Step four: check the heat

Strength tells you whether a gearbox will break. Heat tells you whether it will last. A unit can be well inside its strength rating and still run too hot if it works continuously in a warm room with no air movement. Every selection we return includes a heat check at your actual ambient conditions, and if cooling is needed we say so up front and quote the option.

Step five: check the shaft loads

Belts, chains and heavy couplings all pull sideways on the output shaft, and where that pull acts along the shaft matters as much as how big it is. Tell us what hangs on the shaft and where, and the selection is checked against it. If anything is marginal, the paperwork says so plainly.

What you get back

A sized unit with the ratio and the motor, the margin it actually achieves against your duty, a heat check at your ambient, a shaft load check, a weight figure and a dimensional drawing. One working day for a standard selection, a little longer if it needs a special.