Traditionally, worm gear reducers have been used in industry due to their inexpensive initial cost, frequently arriving on lower horsepower OEM equipment such as conveyors.
Due to the sliding surfaces of the worm and the gear which creates heat & wear, efficiencies suffer, especially in higher ratios.
An option to consider is helical gear reducers. They are available in many different configurations and create less noise, wear, and heat than worm gear designs, which provides longer life in most applications. They are also more efficient, which can lower input horsepower requirements and provide energy savings and greater output torque.
While helical gearboxes are generally more expensive initially than worm gearboxes, when energy dollars are considered there are many instances when a helical unit will pay for itself, particularly as horsepower and ratios increase.
Contact Kurz Industrial Solutions to determine what type of gear reducer makes sense in your application.