Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Introduction portance to consider when selecting a than a numerical SF. Classes I, II or III
Gear drives deliver power to indus- gear drive. are equivalent to SF values of 1.0, 1.41
trial equipment such as bulk material or 2.0. Service class and service factor
conveyors, mixers, pumps and paper Service Factor are used interchangeably; however,
mills. The reliability that translates into The service factor (SF), a variable numerical designations are preferred
greater uptime and profitability begins that combines external load dynam- because service class does not accom-
by specifying and selecting the proper ics, reliability and life, is used to calcu- modate intermediate SF values.
drives for these critical applications. late equivalent horsepower. Applica- Note that published service factors
Many variablessuch as service fac- tion and service duty play an intricate are only the minimum recommended
tor, gear drive rating, thermal capacity, role in determining the proper service for a given application. Applications
speed variation and drive ratiomust factor. Acceptable values of SF are involving unusual or severe loading, or
be considered when sizing and select- determined by field experience. The those requiring a higher degree of de-
ing a gear drive. In addition, specific American National Standards Institute pendability, should be reviewed with
drive features may provide value-add- (ANSI)/American Gear Manufacturers the drive manufacturer. Typical values
ed benefits such as cooler operation or Association (AGMA) Standard 6013 of SF will not accommodate systems
ease of serviceability that help reduce A06 (Metric 6113A06) for enclosed that have serious, critical vibrations or
total cost of ownership over the life of speed reducers publishes a listing of repetitive shock loading. The system
the drivea win for any organization. applications with their recommended designer must identify vibratory or
Here are several major areas of im- service factors. shock loading prior to gear drive se-
Once an SF is chosen, the factor is lection. These conditions will require
multiplied by the motor nameplate changes to be made in the inertia or
power to establish the size of drive re- spring constants of the drive system.
quired by the equipment to be driven.
A higher SFor larger gear drive size Gear Drive Rating
should be selected when peak running Published ratings of a gear drive
loads are substantially greater than are determined by the mechanical
normal operating loads. load-carrying capacity of gear tooth
Gear drives that are supplied in com- elements, rotating shafts and bearings.
bination with electric motors may For example, the ANSI/AGMA Stan-
be designated with a service class dard 6013A06 establishes standards
number such as I, II or III, rather for industrial enclosed gear drives.
The horsepower rating of a gear
tooth is less than or equal to the
durability (pitting resis-
tance) of the surface, or
strength (bending fa-
tigue) rating, as deter-
mined by established
AGMA criteria. As the
SF is increased, the re-
lationship between gear
life (based on pitting resis-
tance) and load is propor-
tional to the increase in
SF raised to the 8.78th
power. For ex-
Manufacturers catalogs list input housing that makes them easier to dis- tems to control oil temperatures in the
speeds for the high-speed shaft of each assemble and reassemble for mainte- most extreme conditions.
type of drive. These generally are based nance of bearings and gearing. Factors that can affect performance
on standard motor speeds. Any input Gear drives are available in a variety and wear, such as operation in an el-
speeds above these limits should be of sizes, with various shaft configura- evated temperature, can be managed
discussed with the manufacturer, as tions to meet your space requirement. with a consistent, preventive mainte-
they may exceed the design capabili- The most popular are parallel-shaft, nance program followed by immediate
ties of the drive. concentric, and right-angle, with low- corrective action. Manufacturers offer
speed shaft either horizontal or verti- various condition monitoring pack-
Finding the Ratio cal to the input shaft centerline. Some ages to monitor bearing temperatures,
To arrive at the specific gear ratio drives are available with special fea- vibration and other measurements, as
required, divide the motor full-load tures such as backstops, which prevent well as convenient oil sampling ports
speed by the revolutions per minute reverse rotation. The manufacturers that allow for lubrication analysis.
(rpm) of the driven equipment. Exact selection procedure that applies to For specific details and rating infor-
ratios are determined by dividing the these features should be followed. mation when researching a gear drive,
actual number of gear teeth by the Under normal circumstances, reli- always refer to the manufacturers cat-
mating pinion teethboth of which ability is evaluated as part of the SF, alogs and technical support advisors
are whole numbers. Deviation be- which accounts for the effect of the to ensure that the drive you select will
tween AGMA nominal and exact ratios normal statistical distribution of fail- provide the optimum reliability, ease
are 3 percent for a single-reduction ures found in material testing. Gear of service and uptimewith the lowest
gear drive, and 4 percent for a dou- teeth designed to AGMA standards are total cost of ownership. PTE
ble-reduction. For applications with based upon a statistical probability of
variable frequency drives, exact gear less than one failure in 100. Most de-
ratios become less important. In such signers recognize that using a higher-
Adam Tietyen, director
cases it is best to select a manufactur- than-minimum SF is cheap insurance engineeringproduct
ers standard ratios. These will provide compared to the costly downtime that commercialization at Rexnord,
lower costs and quicker delivery, with results when a process is interrupted has more than 20 years of gear
drive design, application and
ready availability of off-the-shelf stock due to the failure of a single compo- drive system experience. Tietyen
spare parts. nent. Because drive designs may vary is seasoned in gear and coupling
considerably, past experience can applications engineering, with specialization
in bulk material handling solutions. Recently
Choosing the Right Size only be a guide in determining the he led new gear product engineering and
Manufacturers catalogs provide in- proper service factor for a new drive, commercialization activities for Rexnord, and
put speed, ratio and horsepower rat- and the manufacturers recommenda- currently leads the Rexnord mill products
engineering team. Tietyen is a member of
ing for use in determining the size of tions should be followed. the American Gear Manufactures Association
the drive. Other factors that should be Maintaining the proper level of oil in (AGMA), the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and
considered include: type of unit; ini- the sump, or a steady supply of cool, Exploration (SME), and the Conveyor Equipment
Manufacturers Association (CEMA).
tial cost vs. cost of maintenance (total filtered lubricant, is basic to achieving
cost of ownership); useful operating long service life. To further increase
life; and spare parts if a marginal selec- thermal capacity, a shaft-driven fan Jason Quackenbush, marketing
managerengineered drives at
tion is made. For example, a 30 percent can be mounted on the drive. This in- Rexnord, has 10 years of power
increase in the initial cost of specify- creases air flow along the exterior of the transmission sales, marketing and
ing a gear drive that is one frame size housing to improve heat dissipation. system application experience.
Jasons responsibilities have tied
larger could easily represent a 240 per- Cool operation also can be achieved to Rexnord and Falk-branded
cent greater bearing life and 10 times through housing designs that improve gear with coupling applications specializing in
greater gear tooth life. One additional this dissipation and ensure optimum bulk material handling solutions. Recently, he
headed the commercialization activities for the
consideration is ease of serviceability. bearing lubrication. Some manufac- launch of Rexnords Falk V-Class product line.
Some drives have a horizontal split turers also offer optional cooling sys- Quackenbush is a member of the SME.