One of the main features of the gearmotors is that they can be connected directly to the driven load. The direct connection removes parts that are unsafe, bulky, and create alignment issues. “This female/male interface eliminates expensive shaft couplings, mounting hardware, and chains or sprockets, as well as cumbersome and costly chain guards, which otherwise might be used to connect the gearmotor to the load,” explains Edmund Glueck, product manager at Bodine Electric. “Eliminating couplings, external belts, and pulleys allows the design engineer the space reduction needed to reduce the overall size of the appliance.”

The company also says that the new gearmotors optimize mounting, which further saves on cost and the amount of parts. Since the motors come with the option of right- or left-hand face or flange mounts, one motor can be used for either installation. This, in turn, reduces the amount of gearmotor parts a customer would need.

Bodine designers did experience challenges when creating these new gearmotors. “The original castings for this product would not provide for some of the larger hollow bore sizes,” explains Mr. Glueck. “In these cases, we had to develop new gearhousing end shield castings.”

The motors have continuous output torques from 5.2 to 575 lb-in, gear ratios from 5:1 to 3,600:1, and offer output speeds from less than 1 rpm to more than 500 rpm. The hollow bore size is generally 1/2 in to 1 in, depending on the gearmotor
being used.

According to Mr. Glueck, the gearmotors were specifically designed to address the pressure on engineers to decrease component count, assembly time, costs, and size. “There is also interest in removing maintenance in industrial products,” he adds. “These factors are driving many engineers to consider hollow shaft gearmotor solutions in a wide variety of applications.”

Appliance applications for these motors include medical devices, stoves, broilers, rotisserie ovens, small electric appliances, commercial dishwashers, and outdoor power equipment.