Motor speed reduction methods

In order to get to the required input speed for a particular piece of machinery, some type of speed reduction method is required. These reductions in speed are accomplished by using gear reducers, v-belt and sheaves, chain drives with sprockets or combinations of each.

In this article, we will focus on gear reducers.

Gear Reducers

Gear reducers are available in several types depending on the speed required for the machine they are driving and the mounting method. These include in-line reducers also called parallel shaft reducers, right-angle reducers (usually worm type) and shaft-mount styles.

When used with standard speed motors, they can be complete with a C-frame standard motor mounted directly to the gearbox forming what is known as a gearmotor unit.

In other cases, a standard frame motor may be connected directly to the reducer using a coupler between the motor shaft and the reducer input shaft. And in yet other cases, the motor speed is transmitted to the reducer through a belt or chain drive.

Shaft Mounted Gear Reducers

In the grain industry, the most commonly used speed reducers are the shaft mounted type. These reducers are chosen based on the class of service, horsepower of the motor, the output speed required (input shaft speed of the machine they are driving) and the amount of speed reduction required.

These shaft mounted reducers are normally classified by their gearing sizes and the difference between the input speed and output speed of the reducer. This difference between the input and output speeds is referred as the speed ratio of the reducer. The ratio is nominally called out as the number of revolutions the input shaft turns to provide one revolution of the output shaft. As an example, a 25:1 ratio means for every 25 revolutions the input shaft turns, the output shaft turns one revolution.

The speed ratio is determined by the gearing setup in the reducer housing. If the reducer has only one pair of gears, it is known as a single reduction reducer. If there are two pairs of gears, a double reduction reducer, and one with three pairs of gears is a triple reduction reducer.

The greater the speed reduction of a gear reducer, the greater the number of gear pairs required. Nominal speed ratios for most shaft mounted gear reducers are: 5:1, 7:1, 9:1, 15:1 and 25:1. The actual ratio for a given reducer may vary slightly depending on the brand and size of a reducer. The exact ratio table shown above is from the Browning Torque Taper Plus gear reducer catalog.

The selection of the proper shaft mount reducer for each piece of equipment is determined by the horsepower of the driving motor, the number of hours it is operated per day, and the severity of the application. The latter two are divided into three classes:

•Class I Steady load not exceeding Motor HP rating and light shock loads during 10 hours a day. Moderate shock loads are allowable if operation is intermittent.

•Class II Steady load not exceeding Motor HP rating for over 10 hours a day. Moderate shock loads are allowable during 10 hours a day.

•Class III Moderate shock loads for over 10 hours a day. Heavy shock loads are allowable during 10 hours a day.
 

If the same screw conveyor handles tough or difficult loads that require it to be of heavy duty construction, a Class II reducer is required regardless of how many hours per day it is operated. This application classification and class table is based on AGMA Standard 6021-G89 and is found in the selection portion of most manufacturers of shaft mount gear reducer catalogs. Once the class of service has been determined and the motor horsepower and reducer output speed are known, the correct size shaft mount reducer may be chosen from selection tables for the class required.

If a screw conveyor is operated under heavy duty conditions requiring a Class II reducer, the required motor horsepower and reducer output speed are found in the Class II selection table. Reading across the selection table, the proper size gear reducer may be selected. If the screw conveyor has a 10-hp 1800-rpm motor with a required reducer output speed of 80 rpm.