Right angle gear drives, with spiral bevel gear drives being one of the most prominent examples, play an important role in many manufacturing and industrial applications. In a broad sense, they act as critical motion control components for equipment used in a wide array of different manufacturing contexts, from packaging to food processing to textiles, agriculture and even military applications. These innovative types of power transmission products are essential in situations where motive force created within a machine must be transferred “around a corner,” with a precise ratio dictating the rate and direction of rotation.
Finding a Right Angle Gear Drive To Match Your Unique Requirements
It’s important to acknowledge that not all of these environments are created equally, and some are naturally more challenging than others. The good news, however, is that selecting the most appropriate right angle gear drive for your challenging environment isn’t nearly as complicated as you may think. It does, however, require you to keep a few key things in mind.
Not all challenging environments bring with them the same requirements – you need to treat your own applications as the unique processes that they are. This means that there is no “one size fits all” right angle gearbox that will fit every need. Don’t start with the gear drive and try to work your way to your application. Start with your operating environment and expectations and work your way back to the solution that best fits your needs.
How To Assess Your Operating Environment
Every scenario comes with its own unique set of environmental conditions that will directly correlate to an appropriate right angle gear drive. Food processing in a poultry plant, for example, will require a housing composed of material that can withstand continually caustic washdown conditions and a sealed bearing to prevent lubrication contamination.
The best way to ensure any right angle gear drive will meet your requirements is by discussing these factors with your vendor. Things you’ll want to consider include:
- Where is the drive going to be located?
- Are there any concerns of contamination from exposed lubrication?
- Will there be extreme temperatures?
- Does your facility have to adhere to any special governmental regulations?
- What cleaning processes or chemicals will the drive be exposed to?
Customize Your MITRPAK for Challenging Operating Environments
MITRPAK’s custom right angle gear drives can be tailored to suit even the most difficult applications. From food-grade lubricant to specialty materials, MITRPAK offers a wide range of customization options to optimize functionality and maximize the lifespan of your right angle gearbox.
If you’d like more information about the factors to consider when selecting the appropriate right angle gear drive to operate in a challenging environment, or to speak with an engineer who can guide you to the ideal MITRPAK right angle gear drive for your application, contact MITRPAK today.