High transmission ratio in just one stage

Electric motors deliver high speeds with comparatively low torque. Gearboxes are used to generate movements with greater force. Classic solutions are multi-stage spur and planetary gear sets or, with angular arrangements, bevel and worm gear sets. They are also frequently combined.

However, these variants do not always meet all requirements in terms of efficiency, service life, noise development or installation space. Multi-stage gear sets consist of many components, which increases assembly costs and noise emissions. Bevel gear sets require at least one preliminary stage and are comparatively loud. Worm gear sets lose accuracy, performance and service life over time due to friction. This is where the high-ratio speeroX gearing technology comes in.

Concept with spiral character

Based on the worm gear principle, the gear teeth of the wheel are shifted from the face side to the flat side, which reduces the installation space. The result is gearing with a spiral character, which is driven by a modified worm on the face side. This leads to kinematically favorable conditions: The sliding components and thus the friction are reduced. Despite the high overlap and the sliding engagement, the gearing remains quiet. A low-wear steel-steel pairing increases the power density and service life.

In applications with a clear direction of rotation or a clearly defined load case, an appropriately designed speeroX gear flank can achieve particularly high performance. The speeroX gear set operates in just one stage, is compact, quiet, efficient and consists of just two components: worm and wheel.

Customized development

The speeroX gearing demonstrates its advantages particularly in individually designed drive concepts. Thanks to 112 years of experience in gear and drive technology, Framo Morat can design projects specifically according to criteria such as reducing installation space, minimizing noise or increasing efficiency.

Customer-specific requirements and the advantages over conventional gearbox solutions are evaluated in the early project phase. A feasibility study enables the gearing to be designed in such a way that certain drive concepts can be realized for the first time with speeroX.

The technology is particularly suitable for applications with a predominantly one-sided direction of rotation - for example in conveyor and lifting technology. In medical device technology, low noise levels and smooth running are important, while robotics and automation systems benefit from the compact design. Pump and dosing units often focus on high efficiency.

Framo Morat develops not only the gearing, but also complete gearboxes, including bearing, shaft and sealing concepts, or complete drive systems including motor and electronics, according to customer requirements. One example is a travel drive for pallet trucks and small forklift trucks based on speeroX gearing, which combines a powerful electric motor, a helical spur gear stage and a speeroX gear set as an angular stage. According to the company, the system offers advantages in terms of economy, power density, dynamics, durability and system competence.

Development, testing and use

The speeroX gearing underwent an intensive development and test phase before its market launch at SPS in the fall of 2022. Over 12,000 operating hours in endurance tests provided important insights and led to continuous optimization. Today, speeroX is used in Ruhrgetriebe's energy-efficient ENEX gearbox series as well as in numerous customer-specific applications.

The most common designs are in the ratio range from i = 8 to i = 22 and enable torques of up to 90 Nm. The center distance of the ring gear is usually between 12 mm and 20 mm. Other configurations are realized on a project-specific basis.

At the same time, Framo Morat is constantly testing new materials, material combinations, tool concepts and production technologies in order to further develop the technology.

Materials and new combinations

With speeroX gear sets in steel-steel pairing, robust, high-performance drive solutions can be implemented. The wear-free material pairing offers a durable alternative to conventional gearboxes. According to the company, the technology has also proven itself in dynamic applications, with advantageous sliding effects ensuring low noise levels.

The extended material portfolio is new: Plastic-metal pairings make the technology interesting for additional applications. This is where Framo Morat's decades of experience in plastic gearing come into play. A plastic gear and a metal worm together form a speeroX gear set, making highly compact, efficient and economical plastic gears possible for both the automotive industry and industrial applications.

Source: Framo Morat