Davis-Standard introduced a next-generation gear reducer. The new design represents a commitment to customer feedback, field experience and technical engineering, the company says. The new reducer is designed to fulfill a variety of extrusion requirements, including those with high and low torque, speeds and extrusion pressures. It can also accommodate the DS Activ-Check system, Davis-Standard’s Industry 4.0 platform for continuous monitoring, preventative maintenance and mobile alerts.

“Our next-generation reducer represents strategic engineering and the application of cumulative knowledge to deliver greater functionality without compromising performance,” says Gary Peacock, Davis-Standard’s director of engineering. “We’ve improved all major components and packaged them in a redesigned housing. We already have hundreds of extruders fitted with the new reducer in the field. Customers across all Davis-Standard applications are pleased with the results.”

The new gear reducer is available in five different dimensions and capacities for extruders ranging from 2 inches (50mm) to 6.5 inches (165mm) in size. Following is a summary of reported advantages:

Horizontal and vertical orientations – The horizontal orientation is a fit for belt-driven machines and/or low centerlines. This allows for a range of belt drives, versatile feedscrew timing and adaptability to direct-coupled drives. The vertical housing arrangement is designed for direct-coupled and narrow footprint machines. It allows for tight positioning of extruders used in multilayer processes.

Cooling and lubrication – There are two cooling and lubrication options based on housing style and customer requirements. These include oil bath lubrication and partial immersion/forced lubrication.

Gears and roller bearings – Case-hardened precision ground helical gearing is available in a wide range of gear reduction ratios to suit process requirements. New to this reducer series are spherical roller thrust bearings which absorb the axial process load and provide a self-centering, compact design with superior low-friction characteristics.

Radial shaft seals – All reducers are fitted with high-quality, spring-loaded radial shaft seals to contain lubrication oil and exclude contaminants.

Felt excluder – A felt ring excluder has been added to the front output shaft to protect the shaft and seal from abrasion and extend seal life.

Housing design – Durable cast iron construction provides quiet operation and minimal vibration. Large inspection ports simplify viewing of gear tooth condition, and a non-vented, bullet-type oil sight check reportedly eliminates the potential for leakage. Large oil fill ports allow for easier filling, while a low point drain port enables complete draining. A front thrust shaft cover completely encloses the reducer housing, allowing for more precision seal-to-shaft alignment.

Retrofitting to older machines – There are many opportunities to retrofit the Next Gen gearcase to older extruders. Contact Davis-Standard’s Aftermarket team to see if this applies to your existing machines.