HOW TO SPECIFY & SELECT GEAR DRIVES

Gear drives are the "lifeline" in most processing operations. And, with today's new emphasis on
operating efficiency, selection of the proper drive has become increasingly important. The right
choice can result in a big difference in productivity, operating costs, and energy savings.
Selecting the right gear drive ideally brings together the gear manufacturer, the system designer,
and the end user. At the outset, a gear manufacturer must know what the drive will be used for, the
demands to be placed upon it, and the nature of the equipment it will be driving.
Similarly, the user and the system designer must be familiar with the variables that affect
performance and service. For example, an application that places a torque load on a drive in excess
of its rated capacity will inevitably result in tooth surface distress and, in severe cases, breakage.
Tooth surfaces that show signs of wear or pitting should be candidates for future preventive
maintenance programs. Fracture of a gear tooth will not only put the gear drive out of service, but
could possibly do damage to bearings and shafts. A number of factors enter into the selection of a
gear drive, including service factor, drive rating, thermal capacity, speed variation, equivalent
horsepower, drive ratio, and physical size. All must be carefully evaluated to make the right
decision.

Service Factor
"Service Factor" (SF) combines external load dynamics, reliability, and life and is used to calculate
equivalent horsepower. Acceptable values of Service Factor for different applications are determined
by field experience. For example, the American Gear Manufacturer's (AGMA) practice for enclosed
speed reducers contains a listing of applications with their proper service factors.
A SF value between 1.25 and 2.0 is typically chosen and then multiplied by the motor nameplate
power to establish that required by the driven equipment. Gear drives must be sized so that the
peaks of the running load do not exceed the endurance limits of the components.
Gear drives, supplied in combination with electric motors, may be designated with a "service class
number" such as I, II, or III rather than a numerical SF. Class I, II, or III are equivalent to SF
values of 1.0, 1.41, or 2.0. Service class and service factor can be used interchangeably.
However, numerical designations are preferred because service class does not accommodate
intermediate values of SF.
Published service factors are only "the minimum recommended," for a given application. Applications
involving unusual or severe loading, or those requiring a higher degree of dependability, should be
reviewed with a gear manufacturer. Typical values of SF will not accommodate systems that have
serious critical vibrations, or repetitive shock loading. These will require changes to be made in the
inertia or spring constants of the system. The responsibility for identifying vibratory loading prior to
gear drive selection must rest with the system designer.

Gear Drive Rating

Published ratings of a gear drive are determined by the mechanical load-carrying capacity of gear
tooth elements, rotating shafts, and bearings. The AGMA has adopted standard practices for
establishing gear drive ratings.
The horsepower rating of a gear tooth is less than or equal to the durability (pitting resistance) of
the surface, or strength (bending fatigue) rating as determined by established AGMA criteria. The
relationship between gear life (based on pitting resistance) and load, is proportional to the increase
in SF raised to the 8.78 power. For example, if SF is increased by 30 percent, the gear tooth life will
increase 10 times.
Shafts support the gear tooth elements transmitting torque from the motor to the driven machine
and also distribute the radial loads to the bearings. While shafts are designed for carrying torsional
and bending stresses, they minimize deflection by maintaining uniform contact across the gear face.
Rolling element bearings are selected according to bearing manufacturers' recommendations. They
are based on transmitting the rated horsepower at an SF of 1.0 for less than 25,000 hours average
expected life. Bearing life is defined as the number of hours of operation at a constant speed before
the first evidence of fatigue develops on either the raceway or rolling elements.
The designation for average life is L-50, which is equivalent to a minimum L-10 life of 5,000 hours
with 90 percent survival. The relationship between bearing life and load is proportional to the
increase in SF raised to the 3.33 power. For example, if the SF of a gear drive is increased by 30
percent, the bearing life will increase 240 percent.

Determining Thermal Capacity

Thermal capacity is the amount of horsepower a gear drive can transmit continuously for three hours
or more without exceeding an operating oil sump temperature rise of 38C (100F) above ambient
(The maximum acceptable temperature for an oil sump is 93C (200F)). Thermal capacity can limit
selection of a drive when it is less than the nameplate rating of the motor if there is no auxiliary
cooling. SF is not involved since heat dissipation is based upon average power consumed - not peak
loads.
Helical gears supported by rolling element bearings operate with the highest efficiency of any major
power transmission system. The power losses are usually less than 1.5 percent per gear mesh.
Figure 1 shows the distribution of power losses within the gear drive. Churning loss results from gear
blanks revolving in the oil sump and generating splash for lubricating the gear teeth, bearings, and
seals. These losses are a function of speed and oil level, and are constant regardless of the power
transmitted. This is significant because under a light-load, full-speed test, measured efficiency will
be less than predicted.

Figure 1: Horsepower losses in a gear drive related to percent of full load.

Ambient temperature
degrees C (F)

Thermal horsepower
multiplier

10 (50)
24 (75)
38 (100)
52 (125)

1.40
1.20
1.00
0.75
Table 1: Thermal Modifiers

Gear drives are designed with a variety of internal hardware to minimize losses, while still assuring
adequate splash lubrication. These include: oil exclusion pans to reduce churning, wipers to collect
oil from the rotating gear for distribution to the bearings, and dams to maintain a reservoir at the
bearing. To assure proper oil distribution at very slow speeds, higher oil levels are used. Oil levels in
excess of recommended, results in greater churning losses, increased power consumption, and
higher operating temperatures.
Checking the thermal capacity of a gear drive is extremely important. If the unit generates heat
faster than it can be dissipated, loss of operating life or severe damage can occur.
This may take the form of surface distress on the gear teeth or hardening of the oil seals, resulting
in leakage. Figure 2 shows the relationship of the oil sump temperature to the speed of the driven
equipment. Reducing operating temperatures will increase the oil film thickness at the gear teeth
and bearings, and will increase the life of the equipment.

Heat is generated by a gear drive through frictional losses. The gear lubricant is the carrier of this
heat, which is then distributed to the housing and conducted to the outside surface, where it is
dissipated. If the thermal capacity of the gear drive is greater than the motor nameplate rating, and
the ambient temperature is below 38C (100F) in the immediate vicinity of the drive, you can
expect an operating sump temperature less than 93C (200F). If, on the other hand, the drive is in
a very confined area, and is coated with dirt or waste material, a high probability of distress can be
expected, as shown in Figure 2. A corresponding shorter operating life can also be expected.

Figure 2: Probability of gear distress based on operating temperature of the oil sump.

Effect of Speed Variations

Variable speed applications fall into two load categories: constant torque or constant horsepower.
Constant torque occurs when load demand varies proportionally with a change in speed. Gear drives
are basically constant torque machines requiring no selection modifications. If the application is a
constant horsepower one (load demand is constant regardless of speed), the gear drive must be
selected for the slowest speed at which the motor will deliver its rated horsepower capacity. This
must also be done when a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic speed reduction device is used
between a gear drive and constant AC motor. Variable or multi-speed applications also require
special considerations to provide adequate splash lubrication at the slowest speed, without excessive
heating or churning at the higher speed.

Determining Equivalent Horsepower

Gear drives are selected based on the nameplate capacity of the driving electric motor multiplied by
the mechanical SF reflecting the operating characteristics of the driven load. The gear drive must be
compatible with the motor to meet changing conditions, and in the case of variable speed
applications, to the motor rating at base speed.
Frequently, electric motors are purchased with an additional 10 or 15 percent capacity. This should
not be confused with the mechanical SF used to obtain the equivalent horsepower. The motor
electrical service factor must be considered independently in evaluating actual transmitted hp. For
example, a 74.6 Kw (100 horsepower) motor with a 1.15 service factor will deliver 74.6 kW (115
horsepower) continuously. Selection of the gear drive would be on the basis of the 74.6 kW (115
horsepower).

Finding The Ratio

To arrive at the specific gear ratio required, divide the motor full-load speed by the rpm of the
driven equipment. AGMA nominal ratios are based upon the geometric numerical progression of the
square root of 1.50. Exact ratios are determined by dividing the actual number of gear teeth by the
mating pinion teeth - both of which are whole numbers. Deviation between AGMA nominal and exact
ratios are +/- 3 percent for a single reduction gear drive, and +/- 4 percent for a double reduction.
For applications driven by variable speed DC equipment, exact gear ratios become less important. In
that case, it is best to select a manufacturer's standard ratios. These will not only provide lowest
cost and shorter delivery, but offer ready, off-the-shelf stock spare parts.

Choosing The Right Size

Manufacturers' catalogs provide input speed, ratio, and kilowatt rating for use in determining the
size of the drive. But before the purchase order is issued, there are other factors to consider. These
include: type of unit, initial cost vs. the cost of maintenance, useful operating life, and spare parts if
a marginal selection is made. For example, a 30 percent increase in initial cost by specifying a gear
drive one frame size larger could easily represent a 240 percent greater bearing life and 10 times
greater gear tooth life. Such alternatives must be weighed by the systems engineer. Gear drives are
available in a variety of sizes with various shaft configurations to meet your space requirement. The
most popular are: parallel shaft, concentric, and right angle, with either low-speed shaft horizontal
or vertical to the input shaft centerline.
Under normal circumstances, reliability is evaluated as part of the SF which accounts for the effect of
the normal statistical distribution of failures found in material testing. Gear teeth designed to AGMA
standards are based upon a statistical probability of fewer than one failure in 100. If your
experiences show that an SF of 1.25 has given satisfactory service in the past with normal
maintenance, the identical gear drive should be used on new purchases. If, on the other hand, you
have a new, yet-to-be-proved application, a more appropriate reliability factor may be one failure in
1,000 or even one in 10,000.
It is difficult to estimate the operating life of a gear drive. Gear teeth designed to AGMA standards
are based on 10 million tooth contact cycles. Figure 3 shows the effect of increased bearing life when
higher-than-normal service factors are used. Designing in accordance with AGMA standards requires
that all anti-friction bearings be selected for a minimum of 25,000 average life hours. L-10 is onefifth of this value. The simultaneous occurrence of the worst condition of kilowatt, speed, ratio and
rotation, with full catalog overhung load, would have to occur before the minimum 5,000-hour L-10
life would be reached. Most designers recognize that a higher-than-minimum SF is cheap insurance
compared to costly downtime when a process is interrupted due to the failure of a single component.
See Fig. 3.

Figure 3: Bearing life of a gear drive as a function of SF for 24-hour-per-day operation.

Once you've selected your gear drive and put it to work, it is penny-wise and dollar-foolish to
operate it under marginal thermal conditions. Basic to long-life operation is, of course, maintaining
the proper level of oil in the sump, or a steady supply of cool, filtered lubricant. Factors that can
affect performance and wear, such as operation in an elevated temperature, or a high oil level, can
be detected by a consistent preventive maintenance program followed by immediate corrective
action. For example, a change in the viscosity of the lubricant may arrest initial wear or gear pitting.
A better alternative would be to lower the overall operating temperature by using auxiliary cooling.
To increase the thermal capacity, shaft-driven fans can be mounted on the high-speed shaft of the
drive. This forces air along the exterior of the housing to provide increased convection losses in the
area of greatest heat generation. The fan should be sized to provide optimum air flow with a
minimum of turbulence to the surrounding area. In this way, the thermal capacity of the unit can be
increased up to 2.5 times the catalog thermal rating. Safety regulations dictate the size of the
openings in the fan guard, which must be kept clear to maintain effective cooling.
Commercial air-to-oil radiators are also available to increase thermal capacity. They are best used in
a remote location where the ambient temperature is lower than that in the vicinity of the gear drive.
Circulating cool, filtered oil through the gear box substantially increases the operating life of a gear
drive. Circulating systems can be added to each drive; or where units are grouped in series, a
central system can be used.
With central cooling, the gear drive maintains its reliable splash lubrication system, while small
quantities of clean oil supplied under a nominal pressure are circulated through the unit.
The excess flows out of an elevated drain at the operating oil level to a common return line which
links all units in the drive system. The returned oil is allowed to settle in a special tank with baffles
to interrupt flow before the suction side of the main pump moves it through the filter and into the
distribution network.