Unstoppable Torque: 12,000 kNm Cardan Shafts for German Metallurgy

Complete Drivetrain Solutions: Heavy Duty Industrial Gearboxes

A drive shaft is only as reliable as the gearbox driving it. In the intense environment of a steel rolling mill, the interaction between the Universal Joint Shaft and the Main Reduction Gearbox is critical. Torsional vibration from the shaft can destroy gearbox bearings, and gearbox backlash can amplify shaft wear. We treat the drivetrain as a holistic system.

Gearboxes for Rolling Mill Stands

We manufacture and supply heavy-duty industrial gearboxes specifically designed to pair with our high-torque Cardan shafts. These are not standard catalog units but are purpose-built for the metallurgy sector.

1. Main Mill Drive Gearboxes (Helical & Bevel-Helical)

The heart of the rolling mill. These units must transmit thousands of kilowatts of power while withstanding shock loads from the “biting” of the steel slab.

• Housing: Fabricated steel or nodular cast iron (GGG40), stress-relieved to prevent deformation under load. Designed with internal ribbing for maximum rigidity to maintain gear mesh alignment.
• Gears: Case-hardened alloy steel (18CrNiMo7-6), ground to DIN Quality 5 or better. Profile corrections are applied to account for tooth deflection under peak torque.
• Bearings: We strictly use FAG, SKF, or Timken tapered roller bearings to handle the massive axial and radial loads generated by helical gears and the mill process.
• Lubrication: Forced lubrication systems with integrated cooling (oil-to-water heat exchangers) and filtration to remove metallic particles. Critical for gearboxes operating in hot mill environments.

2. Pinion Stands

These specialized gearboxes split the torque from a single motor into two parallel outputs to drive the upper and lower rolls. Precise synchronization is vital.

• Double Helical (Herringbone) Gears: Often used to eliminate axial thrust forces on the pinion bearings.
• Shaft Alignment: The output shafts must be perfectly aligned with the Cardan shafts to minimize angular misalignment and wear.

3. Coiler and Uncoiler Gearboxes

These require precise tension control and must handle variable speeds. Our gearboxes for coilers often feature shifting stages to provide high torque at low speeds (for starting the coil) and high speeds for finishing.

Why Source Gearboxes and Shafts Together?

Sourcing the Gearbox + Coupling + Cardan Shaft from a single engineering partner eliminates the “finger-pointing” when vibration issues occur. We perform Torsional Vibration Analysis (TVA) on the complete string to ensure that the natural frequencies of the shaft do not resonate with the gear mesh frequencies.

Whether you need a replacement gear set for a vintage 1970s Demag stand or a complete new drive for a modernization project in Saxony, our engineering team can reverse-engineer and upgrade your power transmission train.