Super Small Gearboxes: Going Micro to Meet Customer Needs [VIDEO]

If you need small gearboxes for your industrial application, you’ve come to the right place. W.C. Branham’s MICROGEAR IASM5 and IASM7 gearboxes are made to fit multiple application performance requirements and solve design challenges. 

Watch the video below to see how these small gearboxes solve some typical industrial challenges.

“We have developed a robust line of right-angle gearboxes over the last 20 years,” notes W.C. Branham General Manager Chad Randleman, “continuously expanding to cover most industrial applications.” Even so, he says, “customers often ask about other iterations to meet their unique needs, and sometimes those requests have been for smaller gearboxes.”

Small Footprint, Large Impact

The compact MICROGEAR Gearboxes are 50% smaller than anything in our standard lines–under 1.5 cubic inches.

While micro-size devices and components are fairly common in automotives, electronics, and other consumer goods industries, they are essential components in industrial and manufacturing applications.

MICROGEAR gearboxes serve companies focusing on smaller products, whether they’re a longtime customer or a new customer.

Micro Component Advantages

Miniaturization has been the direction in manufacturing for decades, especially in industries like medical devices and food processing and packaging. While traditional compact components serve many applications effectively, some precision requirements demand even smaller solutions. Micro-sized gearboxes are the next step in downsizing products and the manufacturing processes behind them.

• Medical equipment and devices used in surgery, clinics, and labs are increasingly designed for portability as well as space and cost savings, so they have to be smaller and lighter. 
• Automation and robotics are also more prevalent. Every component has to be smaller, to accommodate these changes. But these devices typically require very precise operation, so they need relatively small, compact power transmission to work. 
• In food and beverage, the "shrinking" trend is driven by consumer demand for more convenient, single-portion size packaging and the growing market for individually packaged snacks. Both processing and packaging operations now require smaller-scale production equipment to adapt.

Small Gearboxes, Big Solutions

Many industries can benefit from space-saving designs. MICROGEAR gearboxes support limited-space design without sacrificing reliability, performance, precision, speed, torque control, cost efficiency and long life. Industries experimenting with miniaturization also face stringent safety and sanitation requirements that dictate which materials can be used for gearbox components.

Here are the quick specs on the super small Hollow Bore and Shaft Gearbox Models: 

• MICROGEAR IASM5 and IASM7 models are available with ¼” and ⅜” hollow bores, respectively, to insert keyed shafting through the gearbox. The IASM7 series has a compact ¾" center distance between the bores, and the IASM5 series is just ½".
• The ICASM5 and ICASM7 include solid input/output shafts in two-, three- and four-way configurations.
• All MICROGEAR gearboxes have a ratio of 1:1 with speeds up to 1800 RPM and power capacity of 1/6 HP, as outlined in our technical resource guide.
• MICROGEAR gearboxes are available in both right- and left-hand configuration.
• They are pre-lubricated and lubed for life for most applications. (We were the first in the industry to offer right-angle hollow-core helical gearboxes that come pre-lubricated and sealed inside a leak-proof gearcase.)
• Insert-A-ShaftTM products are available in standard aluminum as well as stainless steel for food processing and packaging, medical device manufacturing, and other applications that operate in harsh conditions or controlled environments.

Selecting the Right Product for Your Application

When selecting the ideal gearbox, consider several factors, including capability, mounting, and environmental requirements. 

Once you know your required specs, our design engineers can help you choose and customize the gearbox you need for your application.