The Worm Gear Advantage
Worm gears have an inherent design advantage over other gear sets; the worm can easily turn the gear, but the gear cannot turn the worm. In lifting applications, this feature acts as a secondary brake due to limited back drivability.
The hoist motor can transmit motion through the gear reducer, but the load cannot transmit motion back through the gear reducer.
Regulates the lowering speed of the load
The load will not be allowed to free fall
OSHA [1910.179] recognizes this as an approved means of controlled braking
In an industry where ‘load brakes’ and ‘regenerative braking’ are widely accepted, Electrolift offers the better option by using a worm drive gearbox as the secondary braking function.
The main advantages of Electrolift’s non-load brake worm drive gear reducer:
Constant load on the load block. Load brake hoists are prohibited from doing this because it does not allow the load brake to release causing overheating and premature failure.
Long lifts - Long lifts cause load brakes to overheat and prematurely fail
Faster lifting speeds – Load brakes accumulate excessive heat as lifting speeds increase.
Inherently safe – Worm drives do not need controls or high maintenance mechanisms to ensure safe lifts.
Low Maintenance – Less moving parts than gearboxes that require complex load brake mechanisms
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