An increasing trend across industrial plants in all sectors has been to reduce costs by replacing spur and worm gears with high-efficiency helical equipment. Helical gears are more expensive than the classic worm and spur gears they replace. However, they are also more efficient, reduce energy costs, run cooler, are quieter, and require overall less maintenance. In short, helical gearboxes are excellent at saving your business money, time, and energy over the long-term.
Spur and worm gear problems
Worm gears are usually made of bronze, which is a soft metal. Industrial gearboxes endure high friction, temperatures, and pressures, which requires worm gearboxes to receive regular oil changes and maintenance. Even with regular maintenance, however, they do not last long. Similarly, spur gearboxes have rolling contact, but the teeth are cut straight, which means one or two teeth are always in contact with another gear. Since these gears result in incomplete face connection, there is more vibration and noise, and therefore, more wear and tear. (for more information see the article Complete guide to the most common types of gearboxes e The development of the customization of worm gearboxes)
The advantages of helical gearboxes
Helical gearboxes have torque capacity advantages over other types of gearboxes. Spur models are weaker because the load is transmitted over fewer teeth, reducing efficiency and increasing wear. Helical gears use angular teeth, which are hardened to achieve high-efficiency mesh of the gears. Helical gears are connected by two or three teeth at all times to alleviate the load on each tooth, reducing noise, smoothing out operations, and creating less vibration. This all results in your industrial gearbox having a longer life span.
In fact, helical gears are so efficient that there is practically no wear on the teeth. Moreover, they are packaged with oil-filled housings which require less oil changes, providing an advantage to your bottom line and the environment.
While worm and spur gears are cheaper to buy, they are costlier to use and implement. They last only about three years, necessitating higher capital investments, increased maintenance, more downtime, and more disposal costs.
The quality of your industrial gearbox components
To analyze the quality of the gearbox components it is necessary to measure the efficiency and performance of the gears inside it. Low quality gears generate equilibrium problems, stiffness problems and misalignments related to flexibility. There are two main quality indicators for gearboxes:
- vibrations: the lower the vibration and the quieter the reducer, the higher the quality. (for more information see the article How to monitor the efficiency of the machinery through the vibrations of the gears)
- noise: the problem with high noise is that it causes a reduction in the duration of the machinery and the precision of its work.
- heat: produced during the work of the industrial gearbox. Gears are involved in high friction environments that result in high temperatures. Wear and tear are increased when the gears experience higher temperatures. High heat generation is equated with wasted energy and low efficiency. Energy is converted into heat, so if there is more heat and less energy, that means your operations are less efficient and harder on the environment.
In-line helical gear reducers - VARVEL
The series called "RD" includes helical gear in-line gearboxes, an innovative product presented for the first time in 2003 at the Hannover International Fair. Since then we have continued to enrich and improve in-line helical reducers, increasing their functionality and versatility. Today Varvel in-line helical gearboxes are sold and appreciated all over the world and are used successfully in many sectors, from Food & Beverage to the photovoltaic industry, from the movement of rolling shutters and gates to the drive in all those applications with fractional powers and medium.
Total modularity for a simple and quick use
Varvel product kits ensure the customer a complete level of customization on the whole range of in-line helical gearboxes (and not only). The modular system of helical gear units allows easy assembly even for the less experienced, minimizing time and waste.
A wide choice and continuously updated, to meet the most disparate needs of power transmission maximizing the mechanical performance:
- The RD series is composed of 7 sizes, in die-cast aluminum from size 0 to size 4 and in cast iron from 5 onwards, with 2 or 3 stages of reduction.
- The RC series (gear reducers with two / three pairs of gears), on the other hand, is made of 7 cast-iron sizes, keyway / keyway in entry and lubrication for life.
- The series of XA in-line helical gearboxes, available in die-cast aluminum of 4 different sizes, with a pair of cylindrical gears, ideal in the function of the pre-operating torque of worm gear reducers.
The catalog of Varvel gearboxes
The complete range of models in the standard version can be found in the catalog of Varvel gearboxes and speed variators. In the special version specific treatments are performed such as the application of paints approved for the food industry or the use of ATEX certified components for the use of gearboxes in potentially explosive atmospheres. Great attention has always been paid to the needs of a diversified customers, which is why we offer a tailor-made service, which stands out for its punctual delivery and flexibility during the design and after-sales phases.
