Reduction ratio and the torque it has to swing
The GBX1600031383D is a Schneider Electric GBX-series planetary gearbox, Ø160 mm frame, 3:1 single-stage reduction — a low-ratio unit sized for the slow end of a servo drive where torque multiplication matters more than speed reduction (cites:,). Continuous output torque is rated 400 N.m with a maximum peak of 640 N.m, meaning the gearbox can swing the rated load continuously and absorb start/stop transients up to the peak figure without clutch slip or tooth distress (cites:,). Backlash is held to ≤6 arc.min and torsional rigidity to 38 N.m/arcmin, so the gearbox is stiff enough for positioning axes where the servo loop expects a predictable mechanical spring between motor and load (cites:,).
How hard can it be pushed and for how long
Service life is rated 30000 h at 100 rpm with a 30 °C ambient — the operating envelope that drives bearing and lubricant wear, which is why the gearbox is lubricated for life and sealed rather than serviceable (cites:,). Maximum radial load on the output shaft is 4200 N applied at mid-distance from the shaft over the 30000 h envelope, or 6000 N if the duty is derated to 10000 h; maximum axial load follows the same duty split at 6000 N / 8000 N (cites:,). Efficiency is 96% on a single 3:1 stage — the small step-down ratio keeps sliding losses low compared to multi-stage helical units, which is why a planetary gearbox at this ratio loses only ~4% to gear mesh and bearing drag (cites:). No-load noise is 70 dB at 1 m, in line with what straight-cut planetary gearing emits — quieter than a helical reducer of the same ratio, louder than a spiral-bevel unit, and acceptable for cabinet-mounted machine tools and packaging lines (cites:,).
Shaft, housing, and the environment it lives in
The output shaft is C 45 carbon steel in a black anodized aluminium housing — the housing handles heat rejection while the shaft takes the bending and torsional load from the driven machine (cites:,). The shaft seal is IP54, so the gearbox tolerates splash and light dust ingress in an industrial cabinet or machine base but is not a washdown-rated unit — for food-and-bev lines or outdoor mounting the seal class needs to be reviewed separately (cites:). Operating temperature spans -25 °C to 90 °C ambient and the gearbox can be mounted in any position, which simplifies retrofitting into existing machine frames where the original reducer sat in a non-standard orientation (cites:,). Moment of inertia at the input is 12.14 g.cm² — the figure the servo sizing spreadsheet needs to fold into the total reflected inertia at the motor shaft when sizing the drive and brake resistor (cites:).
Lifecycle and how to source it
Lifecycle status is active in the Schneider Electric catalogue, so the GBX1600031383D is on current production and the BOM line can be specified against the standard ordering code without last-time-buy urgency (cites:). The frame size, reduction ratio, and torque class are confirmed against the published GBX-Ø160 series — the compatibility code on the nameplate resolves to other ratios in the same 160 mm frame when the application needs a different reduction (cites:).