Solutions in Motion™

The nature of automation and the facts of physics dictate that all moving parts wear out over time, and your right angle gearbox is no exception. Industrial settings are demanding and unforgiving. High speeds, high temperatures, wash down requirements, and other factors take their toll.

Right angle gearboxes are used throughout dozens of industries in hundreds of applications that require a reliable transfer of speed or power.

Years ago, it was expensive and very difficult to make spiral bevel gearboxes. And while the precision necessary to craft such beautiful and intricate pieces is still tricky, with the right attention to design and fabrication, it's much more doable.

Wear and tear is a fact of life for machinery operating in industrial settings that feature high temperatures, high speeds, outdoor dirt, or harsh washdowns. Even the highest quality components eventually break down. Right angle gearboxes are generally low-maintenance, but if something goes wrong, how can you tell if you’re looking at gearbox repair versus replacement?

The sooner you detect emerging problems, the better your chances of a less costly repair instead of an untimely, expensive gearbox failure. Developing problems can also push gearbox components out of spec, which weakens performance and speeds further damage. Here are some signs to look for and steps you can take to troubleshoot gearbox problems.

Nothing looks more professional than stainless steel gearboxes. They’re so shiny and clean-looking. And that might actually matter if your working environment sees visiting guests or official inspectors. Other equipment that needs re-painting or a new powder coating can make the entire facility seem sub-standard.

But a pretty face isn’t enough, especially in certain industrial applications. You need gearboxes that can perform reliably as spec’d, for a long time, with minimal fuss, so there are serious functional reasons to choose stainless steel gearboxes.

With so many unique applications and different sizing requirements, it can be difficult to find the perfect gearbox for your needs. And of course, you want your selected gearbox to help your application run as smoothly as possible.

In this video, our VP of Engineering and General Manager, Chad Randleman walks you through the process of finding the right gearbox amongst the various types of gearboxes we offer.

Reliability is crucial for any industrial equipment, but most of all when machinery is operating under high-speed, high-torque conditions. For these applications, a high-speed right angle gearbox is often the best design choice to ensure cost-effective, long-lasting, safe performance. Right angle gearboxes are also compact, an important advantage when space limitations are a design factor.

High-speed automation is common in applications such as packaging, bottling lines and other food processing operations, pulp and paper manufacturing, heavy manufacturing such as cement or steel, and mining. And locations such as car washes, food and beverage operations, or medical facilities typically use high-speed roll-up doors.

Cleanliness matters in all manufacturing facilities, but in certain situations, extreme sanitation is priority number one. Food and beverage processing, for instance, cannot allow contaminants to accumulate on equipment because they could get into products. And pharmaceutical manufacturing requires sterility down to the microbial level. Therefore, in all these environments, equipment must be washed down frequently.

Wash down involves high-pressure cleaning with very hot water and/or chemicals. This process is designed to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. Since it is both frequent and intense, it’s imperative to have industrial components that can withstand such harsh conditions as well as deliver desired performance reliably. Food packaging equipment, for instance, generally requires components that can achieve high-speed actuation and withstand the rigors of repeated, caustic washdown.

Equipment often has to meet stringent standards set by an array of government and industry entities. Those standards also directly affect equipment design and component choice.

At W.C. Branham, we're all about "Solutions in Motion." For more than three decades, we have engineered and manufactured components that enable all sorts of machines to move, many of them in industrial applications. Providing versatile components and choosing the right pieces for the intended motion is vital when creating the most appropriate solution. Take packaging machinery, for example.

Packaging facilities might handle anything from sealing roasted peanuts in bags to shrink-wrapping pallets. Processes involve multiple steps, and machines have to move in a multitude of ways as they transport and coordinate products and wrapping materials. Gearboxes are the “traffic cops” that keep things moving so processes function smoothly and seamlessly. Helical and spiral bevel gears are both used in packaging machinery but for different purposes.

During the engineering design process, you have to map out every component you'll need. If you need a gearbox for your application, how do you know which type? These products are very popular with design engineers because they are extremely versatile, but that also means there's a lot to choose from.

Some styles are particularly well-suited for certain applications. For instance, W.C. Branham makes continuous recirculation lubrication (CRL) models that are an excellent choice for heavy-duty, high-cycle applications, whereas our spiral-bevel models are ideal for high rpm applications. For packaging and similar applications, you may want to consider our Include-A-Shaft gearboxes.