With machine builders focusing on lower costs, gearhead suppliers aremaximizing their designs to create value. "With our most recent products, we have been addressing what has becomea very price-sensitive market," says Howard Horn, Micron Product Line Managerfor Thomson Industries Inc.

Horn says utilizing a planetary designoffers opportunities for cost-reduction for the Thomson Micron brand, a majorsupplier of higher end, helical planetary gearboxes. A helical planetarygearbox has a more complex bearing design and higher precision gearing.Materials selection on the housing and other components also make a big impacton the cost of the product.

Engineers can expect this trend to lowercost, "middle-range" performance products to continue as OEMs try to reducecomponent costs by as much as 30 percent.

GEARHEADS FOCUS ONCOST AND CONVENIENCE

XTRUE^TM true planetary gearheads from Thomson are available in 40-, 60-, 80-,120- and 160-mm frame sizes. The new gearheadsare specifically engineered to move large loads more easily and quietly withTrue Planetary^TM gearing by providing improved load capacity and lowerbacklash. They deliver precise 13arc-min operation, with torque capacity up to 876 Nm and ratio availability of3:1 through 100:1. A tapped face outputenables easy, drop-in replacement for similarly configured Europeangearheads. The Micron flexibleRediMount^TM mounting system enables the gearhead to be mounted to any motor inthree easy steps by simply aligning, mounting and tightening the unit. All XTRUE components are RoHS-compliant (EUDirective 2002/95/EC).

GEARHEAD OFFERSOPTIONAL OUTPUT FACES

Parker's Electromechanical Automation Division has expanded their lineof PV115 gearheads. The gearheads offeran assortment of output face options and high radial load and output torqueperformance. Output face options havethe same output face dimensions as Parker Bayside's PX series, Alpha's LPseries, Neugart's PLE series and Stober's PE series, as well as standard NEMAoutput face dimensions. The PV115 alsosupports larger belt actuators, including Parker's HPLA120 and HLE150. The design achieves high radial loads byusing precision taper roller bearings. With high input speeds and efficiency upto 97 percent, PV gearheads are targeting industrial applications such as belts andpulleys, conveyors and production machinery, automotive production andinspection equipment, medical and life science applications, devicemanufacturing, pharmaceuticals and packaging.

PLANETARY GEARBOXFOR BRUSH AND BRUSHLESS DC MOTORS

New G30A planetary gearboxes for Pittman^(R) DC motors offerssuperior torque, shaft loading capabilities and low audible noise characteristicsin a small, lightweight and economical package.Standard diameters measure 1.200 inch for round versions and 1.496 inchfor square types. Gearbox lengths range from 0.895 to 1.585 inch and gearboxesweigh from 3.9 to 6.6 oz. The gearboxescan achieve reduction ratios to 46656:1 in 4:1, 5:1 and 6:1 multiples. Maximum load capabilities range from 106oz-in (0.75 Nm) for one-stage models up to 1,250 oz-in (8.80 Nm) for versionswith four stages or greater. Sinteredsteel planet gears promote torque capacity and reduce audible noise. Single-piece carrier plates with integralplanet posts and sun gear can be arranged to achieve a desired reduction ratio.