Brevini’s new 'High Power' Series combines the highly efficient epicyclic gear design of its recently introduced “S” Series of planetary gearboxes with the modular advantages provided by PIV’s complementary POSIRED 2 family of helical and bevel-helical gearboxes. The result is a flexible power transmission package that combines the ‘best of both worlds’ and provides an ideal solution for use in pulp and paper processing, conveyor drives, industrial and marine lifting equipment, grinders and mills, machines for working sheet steel and rod, large iron-making plants, sugar and food production plants, and quarries.
Brevini’s High Power Series is designed to provide the medium and high power transmission markets with a family of products that are easy to configure, offer the highest levels of torque, and are both space saving and extremely reliable. By combining the best features of both technologies, the new gearboxes provide a more economical solution and overcome the problems commonly experienced when using traditional bevel-helical gearboxes with high reduction ratios, i.e. impractical size, increased power losses and high cost.
Jon Snaith, Technical Manager at Brevini Power Transmissions UK adds: “By positioning the planetary gears at the output end, where speed is slow and torque is high, and using the bevel-helical gears for the input stages we are using both elements to their best advantage. The design eliminates the necessity for additional cooling in almost all cases, reducing cost and increasing reliability, the combination also results in a unit that is considerably more compact and cost effective than a bevel-helical solution used on it’s own.”
The new High Power Series is being launched with 5 standard sizes including a wide range of transmission ratios from 100 to 670, nominal torque ratings are from 37.000 to 370.000Nm and nominal power from 160 to 950kW.
The key to reliable performance is the synergy achieved between the planetary and bevel/helical technologies. The “S” Series planetary gearboxes employ four planetary gear wheels in their epicyclic gear train, instead of the normal three, providing enhanced load sharing and the ability to produce 40-60% more torque output than other gearbox designs of equivalent size and weight. In addition, the innovative S Series design increases the contact area of the planet gears on the central gear, increasing both the rigidity and accuracy of the gearboxes and broadening the range of machines and applications that can benefit from a reduced weight and size planetary gearing solution.
The POSIRED 2 design complements the “S” series performance with high levels of versatility and modularity in its construction. Designed for constant speed reduction, the gearboxes are an ideal problem solving product for OEM and maintenance applications, providing a nucleus of compatible components, which can be assembled into a myriad of gearing combinations. The efficiency of cooling available from the large sump and bigger case of the POSIRED 2 unit is also significant as it can reduce costs in arduous applications by ensuring that additional forced cooling of the lubricating oil in the transmission system is not required.