Obsolete — sourcing reality for this planetary gearbox
Schneider Electric lists the GBX1200151402F as obsolete. The field still reads 'current', which is a catalog discrepancy — the procurement reality is that this straight-tooth planetary gearbox is no longer in active factory production. For a line-down situation or BOM freeze, this gearbox is sourced through independent surplus and broker channels.
15:1 reduction, 368 N.m peak — what the torque ratings mean
The 15:1 reduction ratio means the output shaft turns once for every 15 input revolutions, multiplying input torque by roughly 15× minus efficiency losses. At 100 rpm output, the gearbox delivers 368 N.m (3257 lbf.in) maximum intermittent torque and 230 N.m (2035.7 lbf.in) continuous torque — both at 30 °C ambient. The continuous torque figure (230 N.m) is the one to size against for sustained duty cycles. The maximum torque (368 N.m) covers occasional peak loads during acceleration or jams — exceeding that risks tooth fracture in the straight-tooth planetary set. 94 % efficiency is respectable for a straight-tooth planetary (helical gears typically run 95-97 %). The 6 % loss translates to heat that must be dissipated through the black anodized aluminium housing — at 230 N.m and 100 rpm, that's roughly 240 W of thermal load to manage.
Backlash, rigidity, and force limits for positioning duty
Maximum torsional backlash is 12 arc-min — this is a standard-precision planetary, not a zero-backlash unit. For indexing or positioning applications where repeatability matters, budget for this lost motion in the servo loop or consider a preloaded gearbox. Torsional rigidity is 13 N.m/arcmin — the gearbox twists 1 arc-minute for every 13 N.m of applied torque. At the continuous rating of 230 N.m, expect about 17.7 arc-min of windup under load, which adds to the backlash figure. Maximum axial force (Fa) is 2100 N for 30000-hour life at 100 rpm, 30 °C, or 2800 N for 10000-hour life. Maximum radial force (Fr) is 1500 N for 30000 hours or 2000 N for 10000 hours, applied at mid-distance from the output shaft. These are the overhung load limits — a belt drive or pinion mounted directly on the output shaft must stay within these to avoid bearing failure.
Service life, lubrication, and environmental sealing
Rated service life is 30000 hours at 100 rpm output and 30 °C ambient — that is about 3.4 years of continuous running. The gearbox is lubricated for life with no maintenance re-greasing interval, which simplifies commissioning but means the lubricant condition determines the actual end-of-life. IP54 protection at the shaft output means dust-protected and splash-resistant — fine for most industrial environments but not washdown. Noise level is 65 dB at 1 m, no-load — this is the acoustic signature without load. Under load the gear mesh noise will increase; for a 120 mm straight-tooth planetary, expect 70-75 dB under full torque.