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MECHANICAL COMPONENTS
FEATURE PLANETARY GEARBOXES: THE
PRECISE SOLUTION FOR ACCURATE MACHINE PERFORMANCE
Needing precise gearboxes when
retrofitting a grinding machine, Electron Engineering Services turned to Apex Dynamics and its range of precision planetary gearboxes for high precision and high torque
Heidenhain, Noble & Lund, Skoda, DSG and Boehringer – Electron Engineering Services specialises in machine refurbishment and CNC retrofitting, including re-engineering, re-manufacture and retrofit. For one project, the company decided to
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retrofit a grinding machine to turn it into an accurate grinder, through the installation of servo systems instead of hydraulics. Electron decided that it needed a precision planetary gearbox fitted to the servo in order to get more accurate performance from the grinding machine and higher torque from a smaller motor. The company therefore turned to Apex Dynamics, which offers precision planetary gearboxes for high precision and high torque. To meet Electron’s needs, Apex Dynamics designed a solution that comprised the AB115 and PAII115 gearboxes. The AB115 is part of Apex Dynamics’ highest precision, highest torque range, and is specifically designed for accuracy; while the compact, lightweight, PAII115 is an economy precision planetary gearbox, with accuracy of less than six arc minutes and reduced backlash. The combination of the two
ith customers across the UK, Europe and US – including industry names such as Butler, Schiess, Asquith,
precision planetary gearboxes provided the ideal solution for the project.
THE RESULTS By installing in-line planetary gearboxes on servo axes, Electron was able to use a much smaller motor in the grinding machine to get similar torque and thrust, with lower backlash and quieter operation. Working with Apex Dynamics resulted in a more accurate grinding machine, with the high-precision servo planetary gearboxes contributing low backlash and high precision to the machine tool axes. Of benefit, build-to-stock manufacturing means
Apex Dynamics products are always in stock, and the company makes sure they get to customers on time, with a two to three week lead time. Thanks to the high precision, compact
gearboxes, Electron was able to use smaller motors in the grinding machine, saving costs and improving performance. Electron also found the Apex Dynamics gearboxes easy to incorporate into its design, with support from customer services in the form of 3D models and assistance with calculations. In addition, the selected gearboxes were simple to implement and fit and highly reliable. “We have a very experienced team of machine
tool guys and this was a big job involving a complete system redesign,” explained Phillip Denison, senior mechanical designer at Electron Engineering Services. “Having used Apex Dynamics products for some time now, they are really good at what they do and they understand what we do, helping when needed with things like calculations and 3D models. We are now at the point where if we need a gearbox we’re on the phone to Apex and they are part of our considerations when we face design challenges. “The fast delivery times are really important
to us. We have 6, 8, 10 months to turn a machine around, so we can’t wait long for the delivery of a gearbox. We were really pleased with the levels of service for this project, as we got good products, at a good price, with good customer support and good delivery!”
Apex Dynamics
https://apexdynauk.com
APEX DYNAMICS SWITCHES TO RATED INPUT AMID GEARBOX SPEED DEBATE
With debate in the servo gearbox industry over whether gearboxes should be benchmarked against rated input speed or max. input speed, Apex Dynamics has been looking closely at both, and making sure customers know the difference. Having always based its R&D testing and
catalogue information on max. input speed, the company has announced it is switching to rated input speed, in order to benchmark according to the new industry standard. Max. input speed refers to the maximum speed a gearbox can reach on a temporary basis, while rated speed refers to the highest speed that gearboxes can reliably run at continuously. Calculations based on the new rated input speed standard generally result
in higher torque ratings, as max. input speed gives a much more critical loading to gears and results in an overall lower torque. Rated input speed gives a good indication of what the torque limits are, but customers need to pay more attention to gearbox selection, particularly if they need to run them at high speeds. Max. input speed offers information about what a gearbox is capable of and demonstrates its full potential application. However, while most gearboxes go above nominal speed during a cycle, not all applications require gearboxes to run at max. speed. New products benchmarked against rated input speed without context may look as though they have had significant improvements in
torque compared with products that have been benchmarked against max. input speed. It can also make small alterations to product ranges appear to be completely new high-performance products. Apex wants customers to be clear about what they are getting and so has taken the decision to switch its benchmarking for all newer products to rated input speed in order to provide greater clarity about the performance of its gearboxes. Mike Gulliford, managing director of Apex Dynamics UK, said: “We found most global companies are now benchmarking their gearboxes by rated input speed and, in a major global change to our product specs, we have made the decision to do the same in the best interests of our customers.”
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