Whether you are looking for standard gearheads in low volume on a fast turnaround; highly customised gearheads in series production volumes with inherent flexibility for adaptation; or products specifically optimised for a given application, the IMS range of planetary gearheads from Drive Lines offers the ideal solution.
IMS has introduced three new ranges of planetary gearheads – IMS.baseline, IMS.techline and IMS.SDline. The modular high performance ranges have been designed to meet the needs of OEMs at different phases of product development, delivering the highest levels of flexibility combined with fast turnaround times.
IMS.baseline gearheads are standard drives based on modular designs and ideal for small and medium production runs, as well as samples for prototype work. These gearheads are characterised by tremendous diversity and fast availability. They offer a broad range of different sizes, materials and reduction ratios. There are multiple adapter options to suit different motor and output configurations. In total there are over 1,300 variations of gearhead, thus providing a solution for virtually every possible scenario – all with the assurance of fast delivery and optimum price-performance ratio.
IMS.baseline gearheads are available in nine diameters from 22mm to 120mm dia and offer output torques up to 300Nm.
The modular design concept is ideal for OEMs who are just setting out on a new product development, offering a tailored solution that can enable OEMs to quickly progress from validation of the first idea all the way through to principle tests and functional samples. The results can then be implemented in a short production run or a specification document or the creation of pre-production sample products.
IMS.techline gearheads use the same modular approach but for customised solutions and they are tailored for high volume series production runs. IMS.technline can offer a broad range of reduction ratios, diameter variants and material combinations using both metal and plastic, delivering over 10,000 configuration options.
Because custom solutions are built from modular combinations of standard products, there is no associated cost for special design, tooling, testing or verification. Thus the IMS.techline gearheads can help OEMs move quickly from production samples to high volume production. In contrast to a custom solution, there are no development costs in the configuration of IMS.techline, which means only a fraction of the tool costs that might otherwise be incurred. Additionally because it is not necessary for OEMs to predetermine special technical specifications early in the process, they can benefit from greater flexibility for further changes of development.
IMS.SDline gearheads extend the principle of modular flexibility even further by enabling the design of the gear components themselves to be modified, for example to reflect the changing needs of component geometry or materials. This makes it possible, while retaining an unmodified gear tooth profile, to achieve the highest possible levels of customisation to individual requirements.
Customers can specify the motor output end, geardrive diameter, materials, reduction ratio, and tooth geometry.
IMS.SDline gearheads bridge the gap between IMS.techline and the bespoke development of a customer-specific ‘special’ gearhead. For OEMs, IMS.SDline gearheads offer significant benefits once a product based on the IMS.technline modular system has been on the market for some time and opportunities are arising for new applications, niches and new customers, without having to completely redevelop the product from first principles.
IMS.SDline gearheads provide an innovative response to the continuously rising expectations on price and performance in a global market for high volume solutions.
With these three ranges of modular gearheads, Drive Lines can support OEMs through the sequential phrases of product development, from design through volume production and beyond. They offer OEMs maximum flexibility with the highest price-performance ratio, combined with reduced turnaround times, enabling the compression of development periods, reduced time to market, maximised market share opportunities and optimised return on investment.