Electricians Light It Up!

The gearbox on a gear reduction motor is critical to the operation of the motor. The gearbox allows the electric motor to work more efficiently. If gearbox repair is necessary, it is vital that you take the motor into someone that has the knowledge to do the job correctly.

Electrical or Mechanical

Sometimes the question of where to take a gear reduction motor for repair can be a little confusing. While the gearbox repair is a mechanical repair, the motor is electric, so the motor is best taken to an electric motor repair shop. If the shop can not make the gearbox repair, they will let you know and may be able to recommend a shop that can handle the work for you. 

Types of Gearboxes

The gearbox may be one of several types on your motor, and while they all do similar work, the way they do that work can be very different. A right-angle gearbox uses a worm gear, and because of the right-angle configuration, the gearbox can have more stress on it, causing the gears to wear faster than other gearboxes. 

Straight gearboxes are more common, and while they are used to increase the power of the motor and often have a lot of load on them, the gears are running in-line with each other and have less stress on the gears. The gearbox often lubricates and cools easier as well, but that does not mean gearbox repair is out of the question if something wears out. 

The bearings and seals inside the gearbox can fail over time, and then the entire gearbox will need to be inspected for damage.

Common Failure Points

Gearbox repairs on gear reduction motors are often a result of a bearing going bad inside, but there are times when the gears themself can also sustain damage. Once the gearbox is disassembled, the tech working on it will be able to determine better what is causing the problem and make the appropriate gearbox repair. 

Excessive wear on the gears or broken teeth is often a result of improper lubrication inside the gearbox, and if the gearbox has a bad seal in it, the oil can seep from the box. The low oil level will cause heat buildup in the gears and the bearings and eventually gearbox failure. 

If the motor is in for gearbox repair and the tech is tearing the gearbox down, you may want to consider having a complete rebuild of the gearbox to head off problems in the future. 

Contact a gearbox repair contractor for more information.