Planetary gearbox — 160 mm frame, 16:1 reduction
The GBX1600161003F is a straight-tooth planetary gearbox in the 160 mm diameter frame, delivering a 16:1 reduction ratio. It is part of Schneider Electric's GBX series, designed for servo and motion-control applications where compact inline mounting and low backlash are required. Continuous output torque is 800 N.m at 100 rpm and 30 °C ambient, with a maximum intermittent torque of 1280 N.m under the same conditions — the 60 % overload margin covers acceleration peaks without permanent deformation. Rated service life is 30,000 hours at full continuous load, lubricated for life with no maintenance interval — the gearbox is sealed and the grease fill is sized for the full life window.
Maximum torsional backlash is 10 arc-minutes, placing this gearbox in the standard-precision class for planetary units — suitable for general positioning and indexing, not for ultra-precision contouring where sub-arc-min backlash is required. Torsional rigidity is 41 N.m/arcmin — this stiffness figure governs the wind-up under load. At 800 N.m continuous torque the angular deflection is roughly 19.5 arc-minutes (800 ÷ 41), which must be added to the backlash when calculating total positioning error in a closed-loop servo system. Efficiency is 94 % at rated load — the 6 % loss is primarily gear mesh friction and churning losses in the grease. This is typical for a single-stage planetary with straight teeth; the heat generated at 800 N.m and 100 rpm is about 510 W, which the black anodised aluminium housing dissipates without forced cooling within the -25 to 90 °C operating range. Noise level is 70 dB at 1 m, no-load — this is the gear mesh whine from straight-cut teeth. Under load the noise floor rises slightly but stays within typical machine-tool enclosure limits.
Shaft loading limits — axial and radial force capacity
Maximum axial force (Fa) is 6000 N for the full 30,000-hour service life at 100 rpm, or 8000 N if the application accepts a reduced 10,000-hour life. These limits apply to the output shaft and must not be exceeded by belt tension, helical gear thrust, or external loads. Maximum radial force (Fr) at mid-span on the output shaft is 4200 N for 30,000 hours, or 6000 N for 10,000 hours — both at 100 rpm. The radial load rating drops if the force application point moves closer to the shaft seal or if speed exceeds 100 rpm. Shaft material is C45 carbon steel — standard for this torque class. The shaft output seal carries an IP54 rating, meaning the gearbox is protected against dust ingress and splashing water at the output side, but not against pressurised washdown or immersion.
Lifecycle status — obsolete, sourced through independent channels
Schneider Electric lists the GBX1600161003F as obsolete. The gearbox is available through independent surplus and broker channels. For a replacement in a new design, a functionally equivalent planetary gearbox in the same 160 mm frame and 16:1 ratio with comparable torque and backlash should be selected — the GBX series has no direct pin-compatible drop-in from Schneider's current catalog.