Bevel Gear Drives

What is a Gear Drive?

Gear drives are typically described by the arrangement of their shafts or how they mount to equipment.

There are three basic configurations:

Inline: A concentric gear drive, also commonly referred to as an inline gear drive, is one in which the high and low speed shafts are on the same horizontal and vertical planes.
Parallel: Parallel gear drives position the high- and low-speed shafts on the same horizontal plane and parallel to each other.
Right-Angle: Right-angle gear drives have a 90-degree angle between the high- and low-speed shafts.

Gear drives use several types of gears in different configurations, including worm, helical, bevel, spindle, and spur gears.

Advantages of Bevel Gear Drives

Power is essential for machines and equipment to operate. Effectively transmitting energy often takes a combination of transmission products to fill various applications. The most common types of transmission include belts, chains, and gears. While each of these mechanisms is an effective means of transferring power, gear drives play a prominent role in many devices because of their efficiency and reliability.

Gear drives can transfer power over short distances with a constant velocity and are suitable for low, medium, and high-power transmission. Gear drives are also more compact than other transmission methods, which makes them easier to install. In most applications, gear drives are more efficient than belt or chain drives. A properly designed gear drive application can also reduce pinch points that are common with belt and chain drives increasing safety.

These mechanisms often create a right angle change in direction; this is the case in helicopters and rotary mowers. Each gearbox is built for a specific purpose, which means there is a specific gear ratio; and this ratio supplies the required level of force for that task and is fixed. The only adjustment that can be made after the gearbox is constructed is one that slows an increase in shaft speed and a corresponding torque reduction.

Bevel Gearbox Infographic

Features of Superior’s Bevel Gear Drives

Two-piece aluminum housing for high strength, corrosion resistance, and thermal capacity.
Precision machined for exact gear mesh and bearing preload.
Precision-forged gears are offered in ratios ranging from 2.92:1 – 1:2.
Tapered roller bearings provide increased load capacity and bearing life.
All standard shafts are made of high strength steel.
All gear drives are serviced with 80W90 gear lubricant, ran, and leak tested before shipment.

What Makes Our Gear Drives Superior?

Superior Gearbox Company specializes in designing and manufacturing a diverse range of gear drives in a multitude of rotations and configurations. Our high-quality right angle bevel gear drives are designed for efficiency, quiet operation, and a long service life. Every gear drive we manufacture contains precision gears and components hand crafted by a member of the Superior Gearbox family. We take pride in the knowing that when you come to Superior Gearbox Company for your power transmission needs our team will work closely with you to understand your product requirements and to produce gear drives and components of the highest quality. For over 45 years, Superior Gearbox Company has partnered with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) worldwide through the development and production of high quality precision gears, custom gear boxes and other power transmission designs & components.

Superior Gearbox Company Gear Drive Options

At Superior Gearbox, we offer several high-quality bevel gear drive designs to fit your needs, including:

100 Series– The 100 series features a standard 1” shaft and weighs just 7 to 10 lbs. It features a two-piece aluminum housing that offers additional strength, corrosion-resistance, and thermal capacity. Precision-forged gears provide exact gear mesh and optimal bearing preload. The 100 series is offered in three gear ratios, 1:1, 1.1:1, and 1.43:1.
200 Series– The 200 series features a standard 1” shaft manufactured from high-strength steel and is available in three gear ratios: 1:1, 1.5:1, and 2:1. Tapered roller bearings provide increased load capacity and bearing life. The high-strength two-piece aluminum housing offers excellent thermal capacity and corrosion-resistance, and the unit is leak-tested before shipment.
400 Series– The 400 series features precision-forged gears offered in four ratios: 1:1, 1.35:1, 1.5:1, and 2:1, with a spiral bevel available in 1:1. Standard with a 1.250″ shaft made of high-strength steel, the 400 series weighs 25 to 30 lbs., including 28 oz. of 80W-90 lubricant.
500 Series– The 500 series features a 1.375″ shaft made of high-strength steel, with a 1.50″ shaft available on limited options. The 500 comes in four gear ratios, 1:1, 1.35:1, 1.5:1, and 2:1, with a spiral bevel available in 1:1. The 500 series weighs 25 to 30 lbs., including 28 oz. of 80W-90 gear lubricant, and is precision-machined and built for dependability.
600 Series– Featuring a two-piece aluminum housing, the 600 series is offered in six ratios: 1:1, 1.18:1, 1.35:1, 1.5:1, 1.86:1, and 2:1. With a 1.75″ shaft made of high-strength steel, the 600 series weighs in at 60 to 70 lbs., including 85 oz. of gear lubricant, and is precision-machined.
700 Series– The 700 series weighs approximately 120 lbs., including 125 oz. of 80W-90 gear lubricant, and features a 1.75″ input shaft and 2.75″ output shaft manufactured from high-strength steel. The 700 series features precision-forged gears and a gear ratio of 2.92:1.
700 Iron Series– The 700 Iron series features a one-piece iron housing for high-capacity applications and a 2.92:1 gear ratio. Weighing about 190 lbs. with 175 oz. of lubricant, the 700 Iron series has a 1.75″ input shaft and 2.75″ output shaft made of high-strength steel.
800 Series– The 800 series weighs approximately 120 lbs., including 125 oz. of lubricant, and features a two-piece aluminum housing, a 2.92:1 gear ratio, a standard 1.75″ input shaft, and a 2.75″ output shaft made of high-strength steel.
R20A– The R20A features a forged straight bevel gear design with a 1:1 gear ratio and 1.75″ shafts manufactured from high-strength steel. The R20A features a specialized shaft angle of 68 degrees.
H130– The H130 gearbox features a standard 1.375″ shaft made of high-strength steel and a 1.61:1 gear ratio. This gearbox features a specialized 50-degree shaft angle. It is precision-machined for exact gear mesh and bearing preload. The H130 also includes tapered roller bearings that provide increased load capacity and bearing life.

Additional Superior Gearbox Company Gear Drive Options

At Superior Gearbox, we offer several high-quality gear drive designs to fit your needs, including:

S240– The Spindle 240 series features a two-piece aluminum housing with diecast, fully machined case halves to capture and protect bearings and double-lip seals. A 1″ shaft made of high-strength steel is standard, and the S240 is recommended for medium-duty uses where its low profile and short blade-to-deck dimension are required.
Shaker– Our Shaker gearbox is precision-machined with high-strength, cost-effective ductile iron gears, cast with integral weights, and a two-piece aluminum housing. The Shaker series is 100% leak-tested and weighs approximately 80 to 90 lbs.
IP39 Series(Single Input)– The IP39 series is manufactured with a two-piece aluminum housing and a standard gear ratio of 6.09:1. It’s specially designed for a single hydraulic motor input.
IP39 Series(Dual Input)– Our IP39 series dual-input gearbox is designed for dual hydraulic motor input with a standard gear ratio of 6.09:1.

Contact Superior Gearbox Your Gear Drive Supplier

At Superior Gearbox, we specialize in reliable gearboxes and transmission systems. Since 1975, we have manufactured high-quality drives for various industries and applications. Our gearboxes can be custom-designed to meet even the most demanding specifications.

To request a quote or learn more about gear drives, contact us today.