New Boston Gear Stainless Steel Speed Reducer Puts Poultry Processing Plant On The Fast Track

In just six months, Boston Gear’s SS700 Gen2 worm gearboxes increased operating life by 300% over failing competitor model.

Boston Gear’s new SS700 Gen2 stainless steel speed reducer helped a poultry processing plant in North Carolina overcome a difficult challenge on its toughest application – a 90-degree transfer conveyor.

As the conveyor separated whole birds from the main line, birds would bunch up at the 90-degree turn, drastically increasing the torque demand on the conveyor’s motor and speed reducer. Due to direct contact between the partially processed birds and the transfer line, the entire conveyor was also subject to rigorous washdown, adding even more strain. As a result of the high torque demands and frequent washdowns, the conveyor’s existing competitor speed reducer began to fail every other month.

Meeting washdown challenges

In December 2022, the facility maintenance manager contacted Boston Gear for help in solving the problem. To meet the challenging application, Boston Gear’s Mike Stegmann oversaw the conversion and installation of the SS700 Gen2 stainless steel worm reducer, which led to “significant improvements.”

At a midyear product performance check-in, plant staff reported increased productivity and reliability with the Boston Gear speed reducer. Not only had the product remained pristine and corrosion-free; the Gen2 increased operating life by 300% over six months.

"In this situation, our customer needed a high-efficiency, high-torque stainless steel worm speed reducer that would decrease plant downtime, lower total cost of ownership, and meet food safety standards." Stegmann said. "Today, many food processing plant engineers find themselves in the same boat. Based on valuable product application feedback from our customers, Boston Gear optimized the design of our top-of-the-line stainless steel speed reducer. The resulting Gen2 exemplifies our position as an industry leader in the world of food processing.”

Food grade lubrication

The Gen2 (2nd Generation) of Boston Gear’s SS700 series speed reducers package the form-fit-function of the original IP69K Rated stainless steel speed reducers with upgrades and improvements:

• An improved Domed Crown™ Curved Design eliminates virtually all pooling of fluids during washdown
• New Field-Installable Shaft Covers protect against potential food traps and eliminate safety risks associated with rotating elements
• Tapered Bushing Option eliminates the need for troublesome keys/keyways on the output shaft
• Larger Output Shaft Bore Sizes enable the selection of smaller speed reducers
• Backwards-compatible with 700 Stainless Steel Series
• Food grade lubrication allows plant standardization (PAG or PAO) without concern of mixing oil types

The Gen2 is in full production for select sizes and readily available for immediate delivery. The new design incorporates features for quick and easy installation and maintenance.

Contact our Customer Service team (1-888-999-9860) for more information.