Gear Motor FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
The 12 questions buyers and engineers ask most often before a gear motor order. For sizing help send the four-number spec — voltage, motor power, output speed, output torque — to the inline quote above.
What is a gear motor?
An electric motor with a gearbox bolted to the output shaft. The gearbox trades motor RPM for output torque at a fixed ratio. Used wherever the load needs lower speed and higher torque than the motor naturally produces.
Planetary, worm or helical — which?
Planetary for high torque density and low backlash (robotics, AGV). Worm for high single-stage reduction with self-locking (lifts, doors, barriers). Helical / spur for smooth continuous duty (conveyor, packaging). Right-angle when the envelope demands a 90° output.
What ratio do I need?
Divide motor no-load RPM (typically 3000 for 4-pole BLDC) by required output RPM. That is the approximate ratio. Then check motor torque × ratio × efficiency exceeds your output torque target with margin.
Can a gear motor be back-driven?
Planetary, helical and spur — yes. Worm with small lead angle — no, self-locking. Add an electromagnetic brake to a planetary or helical build if the motor must hold load when de-energised.
What is gearbox efficiency?
Planetary ~94–97% per stage, helical ~95–98%, right-angle ~85–95%, worm ~70–90% (drops at higher ratios). Multiply motor input power by efficiency to estimate output power available at the shaft.
What is backlash and when does it matter?
Backlash is the lost motion when the gearbox reverses direction. Standard planetary is 3–10 arcmin; precision planetary <3 arcmin. Matters for closed-loop position control (robotics, CNC) and indexing applications. Worm has higher backlash and is unsuitable for high-precision positioning.
Maintenance interval?
Sealed planetary and helical gearboxes are grease-lubricated for the design life of the motor (20,000+ hours continuous duty), no field re-lubrication required. Worm gearboxes follow the same convention. 24/7 high-temperature duty: inspect at 5,000–8,000 hours.
What is the MOQ?
1 piece for sample, 10 pieces for commercial first order on stock SKUs. 50–100 pieces for OEM-branded runs. ODM with new tooling quoted per project.
What is the lead time?
Sample 7–10 days, production 2–3 weeks for stock SKUs. Add 1–2 weeks for non-standard ratio on existing tooling. 4–8 weeks for new gearbox tooling.
Does the gear motor come with a controller?
Yes — every BLDC gear motor pairs with a validated BLD-series (6-step) or BLDB-series (FOC) controller matched to its voltage and Hall feedback.
Can I get OEM branding?
Yes. Customer label, custom paint, custom packaging, custom output shaft, custom mounting flange — handled in-house. NDA available before quote.
What information should I send for a quote?
Voltage, motor power (or required output torque + speed), gearbox-type preference, application, target unit volume. Add duty cycle, ambient temperature, IP rating, encoder/brake need for a more accurate match. Quote returns inside 24 hours.
