4 Efficiency of gear units

4 Project Planning for Gear Units

4.1 Efficiency of gear units
The efficiency of the gear units is mainly determined by the gearing and bearing friction.
Please note that the starting efficiency of a gear unit is always less than its efficiency at
operating speed.

P gear units Planetary gear units have an efficiency of 98 %. Refer to the notes in the SEW "Geared
Motors" catalog for the primary geared motors.

Churning losses / In vertical gear unit mounting positions (→ Sec. "Mounting positions and important order
heating information") the first reduction stage is completely immersed in the lubricant. With larg-
er gear unit sizes and high circumferential velocities of the input stage, this gives rise to
churning losses constituting a factor which cannot be ignored. Please contact SEW-EU-
RODRIVE if you wish to use gear units of this type.
Contact SEW-EURODRIVE if an ambient temperature of 45 °C is exceeded for a sus-
tained period with the planetary and primary gear unit in the horizontal mounting posi-
tion.
Contact SEW-EURODRIVE if an ambient temperature of 45 °C and/or a motor speed of
1800 rpm are exceeded for a sustained period with either the planetary gear unit or the
primary gear unit in a vertical arrangement.

4.2 Service factor

Determining the The effect of the driven machine on the gear unit is taken into account to a sufficient level
service factor of accuracy using the service factor fB. The service factor is determined according to the
daily operating time and the starting frequency. Three load classifications are consid-
ered depending on the mass acceleration factor. You can read off the service factor ap-
plicable to your application in the following figure. The service factor determined using
this diagram must be less than or equal to the service factor as given in the selection
tables.

24* 16* 8*
fB
1.88 1.79 1.70
III
1.80 1.70 1.60
1.73 1.61 1.50
II
1.65 1.53 1.40
1.58 1.44 1.30
1.50 1.35 1.20
1.43 1.26 1.10
I
1.35 1.18 1.00
1.28 1.09 1.00
1.20 1.00 1.00
1 5 20 40 100 200 300 400
Z [1/h]**

51099AXX
Figure 4: Service factor fB
* Daily operating time in hours/day
** Starting frequency Z: The cycles include all starting and braking procedures as well as changeovers
from low to high speed and vice versa.

26 Catalog – Planetary Geared Motors

 Service factor 4

Load classification Three load classifications are differentiated: 1

(I) Uniform, permitted mass acceleration factor ≤ 0.2
(II) Moderate shock load, permitted mass acceleration factor ≤ 3 2
(III) Heavy shock load, permitted mass acceleration factor ≤ 10
3
Mass acceleration The mass acceleration factor is calculated as follows:
factor 4
All external mass moments of inertia
Mass acceleration factor = 5
Mass moment of inertia on the motor end

"All external mass moments of inertia" are the mass moments of inertia of the driven ma- 6
chine and the gear unit, scaled down to the motor speed. The calculation for scaling
down to the motor speed is performed using the following formula:
7

N 8

JX = Reduced mass moment of inertia on the motor shaft 9

J = Mass moment of inertia referenced to the output speed of the gear unit
n = Output speed of the gear unit
nN = Motor speed 10
"Mass moment of inertia at the motor end" is the mass moment of inertia of the motor
and, if fitted, the brake and the flywheel fan (Z fan). 11
Service factors fB > 2.0 may occur with large mass acceleration factors (> 10), high lev-
els of play in the transmission elements or large overhung loads. Please contact SEW- 12
EURODRIVE in this case.
13
Service factor: The method for determining the maximum permitted continuous torque Ma max and us-
SEW fB ing this to derive the service factor fB = Ma max/Ma is not defined in a standard and varies
14
greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Under certain circumstances, the service
factor may not be comparable with the information given by other gear unit manufactur-
ers. If in doubt, please contact SEW-EURODRIVE to find out more detailed information 15
for your specific drive.
Example Mass acceleration factor 2.5 (load classification II), 14 hours/day operating time (read 16
off at 16 h/d) and 100 cycles/hour produce a service factor fB = 1.56 as shown in the
figure on the previous page. According to the selection tables, the selected geared mo-
tor must have an SEW fB value of 1.56 or greater.
17

18

19

20

21

22

Catalog – Planetary Geared Motors 27

4 Overhung and axial loads

4.3 Overhung and axial loads

Determining When determining the resulting overhung load, the type of transmission element mount-
overhung load ed on the shaft end must be considered. The following transmission element factors fZ
also have to be considered for various transmission elements.

Transmission element Transmission element factor fZ Remarks

Gears 1.15 < 17 teeth
Chain sprockets 1.40 < 13 teeth
Chain sprockets 1.25 < 20 teeth
Narrow V-belt pulleys 1.75 Pre-tensioning influence
Flat belt pulleys 2.50 Pre-tensioning influence
Toothed belt pulleys 1.50 Pre-tensioning influence

The overhung load exerted on the motor or gear shaft is then calculated as follows:

FR = Overhung load [N]

Md = Torque [Nm]
d0 = Mean diameter of the mounted transmission element [mm]
fZ = Transmission element factor

Permitted over- The basis for determining the permitted overhung loads is the computation of the rated
hung load service life LH10 of the anti-friction bearings (according to ISO 281).
For special operating conditions, the permitted overhung loads can be determined with
regard to the modified service life Lna on request.

Permitted over- The permitted overhung loads FR perm for solid shaft gear units can be calculated exact-
hung and axial ly. The force values relate to the force application in the middle of the shaft end for solid
loads on the output shafts and to the gear unit flange contact point for hollow shafts. In planetary gear units,
the force application angle and direction of rotation do not have any effect on the per-
mitted values, since no internal forces from the gear unit act on the output bearings.

Permitted over- All the possibilities and restrictions specified in the SEW "Geared Motors" catalog apply.
hung and axial
loads on the input

28 Catalog – Planetary Geared Motors

 Overhung and axial loads 4

Checking the per- The required overhung load FR on the middle of the shaft end is checked in accordance 1
mitted overhung with the following table to establish whether it is permitted. The load is permitted if FR
load on the out- perm ≥ FR.
put 2
FR FR
3

5
l/2 l/2
6
51097AXX
Figure 5: Overhung load on output 7

8
Permitted over- The values apply to force application in the middle of the shaft end and at an output
hung loads for speed of n = 10 rpm. 9
solid shafts:
Size P.. 01 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81
FR perm [kN] 96 134 183 194 249 280 364 403 526 10

11

Calculating FR perm 12
[kN] for different
output speeds n*
(rpm) 13

FR = Permitted overhung load [kN] for different output speed 14

perm*
FR = Permitted overhung load [kN] 15
perm
FR max = Maximum overhung load [kN] (see following table) 16
n* = Different output speed
17

Size P.. 01 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81
18
FR max [kN] 124 156 197 252 323 364 473 523 683

19
Note FR ≤ FR perm* ≤ FR max
However, the following must be checked if FR perm* > FR max: FR ≤ FR max 20

21

22

Catalog – Planetary Geared Motors 29

4 Overhung and axial loads

Conversion of
permitted over-
hung load on the X
output for force
FR zul (x)
application away
from the middle
of the shaft end

51098AXX
Figure 6: Overhung load on output

Size FR perm [kN] a b l

01 96 173 163 200
11 134 188.5 176 220
21 183 211 179 220
31 194 231.5 194 250
41 249 268 229 300
51 280 283 260 350
61 364 308 287 400
71 403 334 291 400
81 526 376 321 450

Calculation of off-
center force appli-
cation:

b* = (b - l/2) + x
FR perm(x) = Permitted overhung load [KN] of the off-centre force application
FR perm = Permitted overhung load [kN]
FR max = Maximum overhung load [kN]

Note FR ≤ FR perm (x) ≤ FR max

However, the following must be checked if FR perm (x) > FR max: FR ≤ FR max

Permitted axial The permitted axial load is 20 % of FRperm if a radial force is applied at the same time.
load Please contact SEW-EURODRIVE in case of overhung load application on type PH..
and flange-mounting with type PHF...

Please contact SEW-EURODRIVE if a purely axial force is applied.

30 Catalog – Planetary Geared Motors