Planetary gearbox, 60 mm frame, 40:1 reduction
The GBX0600400402D is a straight-tooth planetary gearbox from Schneider Electric's GBX series, with a 60 mm housing diameter and a 40:1 reduction ratio. It delivers 40 N.m continuous output torque and peaks at 70 N.m maximum, making it suited for servo-driven positioning axes, indexing tables, and conveyor drives where compact envelope and torque density matter.
Torque, stiffness, and backlash — the motion-control triad
Continuous torque is 40 N.m, with a maximum intermittent rating of 70 N.m — the margin above continuous covers acceleration peaks and emergency stops without yielding the gear teeth. Torsional rigidity is 2.5 N.m/arcmin, meaning the output shaft twists 0.4 arcmin per N.m of applied torque; this stiffness keeps positioning repeatability within the servo loop's bandwidth. Maximum torsional backlash is 25 arcmin — the lost motion when the output shaft reverses direction. For applications that cycle direction (pick-and-place, gantry shuttles), this backlash adds to the total positioning error budget and must be accounted for in the servo tuning or compensated by the controller. Efficiency is 94 %, meaning 6 % of input power is lost as heat inside the gearbox. At 40 N.m continuous output, the thermal loss is roughly 16 W at rated speed — the black anodized aluminium housing (60 mm diameter) radiates this without forced cooling in most machine-frame mounts.
Load limits and service life at the output shaft
Rated service life is 30000 hours at 100 rpm output speed and 30 °C ambient — this is the L10 life under continuous rated torque. At that condition, maximum axial force on the output shaft is 450 N and maximum radial force (applied at mid-shaft) is 340 N. For a 10000-hour duty cycle, the limits increase to 600 N axial and 500 N radial, useful for short-life or maintenance-interval applications. The gearbox is lubricated for life — no grease change interval, no oil level check. The IP54 rating at the shaft output means the dynamic seal resists dust ingress and splashing water, but the housing body itself is sealed by the anodized finish and O-rings at the mounting interface.
Mounting and integration — any position, sealed shaft
Mounting position is unrestricted — the gearbox can be installed horizontally, vertically, or inverted without derating, because the lifetime grease lubrication keeps all bearing surfaces wetted regardless of orientation. The 60 mm diameter housing fits standard clamp-mount brackets and servo-motor flanges in the GBX family. The C 45 steel output shaft accepts standard keyed couplings or timing-belt pulleys; the moment of inertia reflected to the motor side is 0.064 g.cm², negligible for servo sizing calculations.