Planetary gearbox, 160 mm frame, 40:1 reduction
The GBX1600400703F is a planetary gearbox from Schneider Electric's GBX series, built for servo and stepper motor applications that need a compact, high-torque speed reducer. The 160 mm housing diameter and 40:1 reduction ratio suit it for indexing tables, conveyor drives, and pick-and-place axes where the motor runs faster than the load needs. Rated continuous output torque is 700 N.m (6195.5 lbf.in) at 100 rpm, with a peak capability of 1120 N.m (9912.8 lbf.in) for short-duration overloads. The 94% efficiency means the gearbox loses only 6% of input power to friction and windage — a meaningful number when sizing the upstream motor for a duty cycle that runs near the torque limit. Maximum torsional backlash is 10 arcmin, placing it in the standard-precision class for this frame size. That's adequate for general positioning but not for high-accuracy contouring; if the application needs tighter positioning, a low-backlash or zero-backlash planetary would be the next step up.
Torque, life, and mounting constraints
Service life is rated at 30,000 hours at 100 rpm and 30 °C ambient — a solid 3.4 years of continuous running. The gearbox is lubricated for life, so no maintenance oil changes are needed; the sealed system keeps contaminants out but also means the unit is replaced, not serviced, at end of life. Maximum radial force Fr is 4200 N at mid-shaft at the 30,000-hour rating, and 6000 N at the 10,000-hour rating. Maximum axial force Fa is 6000 N at 30,000 hours and 8000 N at 10,000 hours. These limits govern the overhung load from a belt or chain sprocket — exceeding them shortens bearing life faster than the torque rating suggests. Shaft output protection is IP54, meaning the output seal resists dust ingress and splashing water but not pressurized washdown. The housing is black anodized aluminium; the shaft is C45 steel. Ambient operating range is -25 to 90 °C. Torsional rigidity is 41 N.m/arcmin — the shaft wind-up under load. At the 700 N.m continuous rating, the wind-up is about 17 arcmin, which the 10 arcmin backlash adds to. For a positioning move, the total lost motion is the sum of backlash plus wind-up under load.
Obsolete — sourcing through independent channels
Schneider Electric has marked the GBX1600400703F as obsolete. The part is available through independent surplus and broker channels; quantities are lot-specific and confirmed at RFQ. Noise level is 70 dB at 1 m, no-load — typical for a straight-tooth planetary at this ratio. The straight-tooth design is noisier than helical but more efficient and lower-cost to produce. For a noisy production floor this is fine; for a quiet lab environment, a helical planetary would be the better fit.