Why Choose Custom Gearboxes? A Deep Dive into Sun Lung's Tailored Engineering

The previous article introduced the applications of gearboxes and their importance in industry. Gearboxes are usually described as the heart of a machine.

Then, this article continues to explore the specific applications and design considerations of custom gearboxes. To meet market demands, different equipment applications, and different operating conditions, custom gearboxes are definitely one of the indispensable products. In addition to developing standard gearboxes for the past 30 years, SUN LUNG has also been committed to cooperate with customers to develop the gearboxes they need. We have rich experience and performance in the field of designing and developing customized gearboxes.

1. What is a Custom-Made Gearbox?

Whether it's OEM project, ODM project, or modification from standard gearbox, gearboxes that are developed by a series of design adjustments and customizations on the appearance, fitting dimensions, transmission structure, external accessories…etc. based on customer’s specific requirements all can be classified as custom gearboxes.

Standard gearboxes are designed to meet the needs of most customers, and each model features standard appearances, fitting dimensions, thrust bearing specifications, and standard reduction ratios. The advantage of standard gearboxes is that mass production helps reduce design and manufacturing costs. However, when standard gearboxes cannot meet certain specific requirements, customization becomes necessary. Although it incurs additional design costs, a dedicated design can meet the customer's unique application conditions, making it better suited to the equipment and effectively enhancing production efficiency, operational performance, and lifespan.

2. Custom-Made Gearbox Solutions

In general, custom gearboxes are usually required to meet customer needs in the following situations:

• Special Operating Conditions
  When equipment operates under high load situations or requires precision operation, we need to enhance the strength and precision of gears and other transmission components.
• Special Mounting Methods
  Specific connection dimensions and different lubrication methods are required based on different mounting directions and angles of gearboxes.
• Harsh Environmental Conditions
  Equipment operating in extremely hot or cold environments needs to be equipped with a more powerful cooling system or heater.
• Space Limitations
  Sometimes, the structural design of the equipment results in limited installation space for the gearbox necessitating specific appearance and transmission structure.
• Original Supplier Discontinuation or Seeking a Second Source
  In order to prevent customers from having to modify the size of the equipment and meet the maintenance needs of old equipment, it is necessary to produce a gearbox that has the same dimensions as the original one and can be directly replaced.

3. What Can Be Customized in a Gearbox?

For the situations outlined above, the customizable aspects of custom gearboxes include the following:

• Appearance
  Gearbox’s appearance can be designed to meet specific aesthetic, space limitations, rigidity, or heat dissipation requirements.
• Materials
  Depending on different operating conditions, suitable materials and heat treatment methods can be selected for the housing, gears, and transmission components.
• Gears
  Different types of gears (spur gears, helical gears, worm gears, bevel gears, etc.) can be chosen based on requirements to achieve optimal transmission efficiency.
• Bearings
  Suitable types of bearings can be selected based on different radial and axial load conditions.
• Transmission Structure
  Specific transmission structures can be designed based on different types of equipment. For example, a gearbox for a twin-screw extruder needs to drive two screws, requiring the design with two output shafts.
• Connection Dimensions
  Input and output connection dimensions can be customized according to motor specifications and equipment connecting methods.
• Lubrication Methods
  Based on the operating conditions and environment of the gearbox, appropriate lubrication systems with heat exchanger can be installed on the gearbox as needed.
• External Accessories
  Temperature, pressure, oil level, flow, and vibration sensors can be added on the gearbox or lubrication system as needed to monitor for any abnormal conditions.

4. Conclusion

Compared to standard gearboxes, custom gearboxes can accurately meet customer needs. Gearboxes developed for specific operating conditions of each equipment can maximize production efficiency, operational performance, and also significantly extend the lifespan of the gearbox and the whole machine. Although additional design costs are incurred, in the long run, custom gearboxes are undoubtedly a superior option compared to standard ones. For the machinery manufacturers pursuing the high-precision equipment for production, having custom gearboxes that perfectly match their products is one of the essential requirements.

SUN LUNG’s professional team can design and manufacture custom gearboxes that satisfy various equipment needs. Contact us to become your partner in collaboratively developing higher efficiency, more durable, and precise custom gearboxes that can improve the performance of your equipment!