Baldor Enhances Same-Day Gearbox Assembly Operations

Baldor has enhanced its fast turnaround gearbox assembly operation, which now has access to a large extensively-equipped machine shop, to the point where it can provide European customers with a same-day build service.

Capable of building custom-configured power transmission products within hours of order placement, the new U.K.-based assembly line can produce high efficiency gearboxes and gearmotors in a wide range of models and sizes from the renowned Dodge Quantis family. The Quantis product line is also directly interchangeable with most other leading gearmotor products for ease of replacement.

According to Tristin Hurst, product manager for Baldor U.K., "Custom gearbox assembly is a popular service with OEMs, end users, system integrators and system maintainers, but we have now raised the bar significantly. Any single-product order placed before 1 pm will be available for collection or shipment that day - and the same applies to orders for multiple products placed before midday."

Hurst adds: "We are also now able to offer a wider range of gearbox input and output options, helping customers configure the optimal solution, and to apply special paint finishes such as corrosion-resistant epoxy. Baldor's renowned high-efficiency motors also make the service ideal for customers who need to comply with forthcoming EU energy efficiency legislation stipulating IE2-rated gearmotors after June 2011 as well as NEMA Premium gearmotors for export to American markets."

Dodge Quantis gearboxes and gearmotors are based on a modular design concept to facilitate the implementation of custom configurations. Baldor - a member of the ABB Group - stocks all the components needed to assemble Dodge Quantis in-line helical (ILH) and right-angle helical bevel (RHB) speed reducers and gearmotors, in any case size from 38 to 108. The range includes the Quantis Gold gearmotor, which is based on an IE3 Premium Efficiency motor and is the most energy efficient package available in the industry.

Quantis ILH series speed reducers offer a choice of foot or output flange mountings, are available in double or triple ratios, and have an efficiency of up to 98.5 percent per stage. The RHB series right-angle speed reducers offer shaft-mount, foot or output flange mounting, triple ratios, and have an efficiency of 98.5 percent per stage. They also offer two output options on the RHB units of the straight hollow bore, as well as patented twin-tapered bushings kits, which facilitate fast disassembly and reassembly by ensuring that the reducer will not seize onto the customer's driven shaft.

Both the ILH and the RHB series are suitable for B5 flange mounted separate reducers which feature a universal clamp-collar design that enables users to employ the motor of their choice - when replacing a unit, they are not limited to any one manufacturer's products; they also offer integral gearmotors. The Quantis range employs spring-loaded nitrile rubber oil seals for better sealing - any gear reducer is only as good as the seal.

Baldor's gearbox assembly service covers a wide range of IEC metric and NEMA models, to accommodate customers serving both the European and American markets. The company also offers a wide choice of DC and AC motors for its gearmotors; for the three-phase AC models it is also offering its latest IEC IE3-rated (former CEMEP 'EFF1+') motors, which provide unprecedented energy efficiency and are ideal counterparts to the high-efficiency Quantis product line.

The use of IE2 rated (former CEMEP 'EFF1') motors becomes mandatory in the EU in June 2011 for a very wide range of common motor sizes. Baldor is actively encouraging OEMs to start considering early migration straight to the higher IE3 efficiency level, to help provide them with a competitive edge. Although IE3 is not due to come into effect in the EU until 2015, its USA equivalent, NEMA Premium, has been mandated since December 2010 by the USA's Energy Independence Security Act (EISA), which stipulates that virtually ALL 3-phase motors imported into the USA must exhibit this level of efficiency.

Baldor's new build-to-order gearbox service operates on a 7 days a week basis. Customers can either collect their order direct from the U.K. assembly plant, or Baldor will arrange for shipment anywhere in Europe.