WDZ Series Worm Gear Reducer

IEC Flange Input — No Input Coupling Ever

The WDZ IEC B5 flange eliminates the jaw coupling, coupling guard, and motor base from the input side permanently. The W-series equivalent (W Series) still requires a jaw coupling on every installation. In W-series machines undergoing maintenance simplification — removing scheduled coupling spider replacements from the PM programme — swapping to a WDZ achieves this at the same baseplate footprint. Motor concentricity is factory-set to 0.05 mm TIR; no alignment procedure required.

Size 175 at 7.5 kW — Widest W-Family Flange-Input Solid-Shaft Range

The WDZ extends to size 175 at 7.5 kW — the largest solid-shaft, IEC flange-input unit in the W family. The DZ tops out at size 135 and 3.0 kW. For Australian mining conveyor drives, large pump drives, and heavy industrial agitators built around W-series dimensional conventions that require motor-direct input at power levels above 3 kW, the WDZ 155–175 is the only W-family specification that fits the baseplate and delivers the required power without an input coupling.

W-Series Housing — Baseplate Unchanged

WDZ B dimension and foot pad bolt pattern match the W-series convention at each size number. Retrofitting from a W-series solid-shaft unit to a WDZ on the same machine requires no baseplate modification, no concrete plinth re-drilling, and no structural alteration to the machine bay. Only the motor base and jaw coupling are removed; the baseplate hardware is reused. For Australian plant engineers managing W-series machine upgrades across large fleets, this zero-modification retrofit is a significant labour saving.

Self-Locking at ≥ 30:1

At ratios 30:1 and above, the worm mesh provides static self-locking — the output shaft holds stationary on power-off without a brake. In the W-series convention where the WDZ replaces a W-series unit with a braked motor, the WDZ at these ratios eliminates the motor brake from the specification, reducing the number of components that require periodic inspection and replacement on large W-series machine fleets in remote Australian locations.

Longer Output Shaft — Better Overhung Load Margin

The W-series housing convention provides a longer LS output shaft section than the equivalent DZ at the same size number. This gives more shaft engagement length for coupling hubs, sprockets, and pulleys, and a larger overhung load (OHL) capacity from the bearing span. For chain drives with large sprockets or belt drives with significant belt tension, the WDZ’s larger OHL margin at size 100+ provides a worthwhile safety factor compared to the more compact DZ alternative.

W-Series Heat Dissipation — Better Thermal Margin

The WDZ’s larger W-series housing has proportionally more surface area for natural convection heat dissipation than the compact DZ at the same power rating. In continuous-duty Australian summer conditions at 40°C+ ambient, this larger thermal surface area provides more headroom before the thermal rating becomes the constraining factor at high ratios — a meaningful advantage on slow-speed drives where worm mesh efficiency is lower and heat generation per kW of output is highest.

IEC B5 Motor — Larger Frame Verification at Size 155–175

Sizes 155 and 175 accommodate IEC motors in the 100–112 frame range. At these larger frames, confirm the LZ×LB flange bolt circle, Q input bore diameter, and T×V bore depth against your specific motor. Different motor manufacturers implement IEC 100–112 frames with varying shaft lengths that can differ by 10–15 mm — always measure shaft length against T×V for sizes 155 and 175 before ordering.

PTO Adaptor + Friction Slip Clutch

For agricultural drives retaining tractor PTO input, a yoke-end IEC flange adaptor mounts at the WDZ input face in place of the electric motor. The friction slip clutch (set at 1.5× rated input torque) protects the worm gear from PTO engagement surges. At WDZ sizes 100+ the worm gear rated input torque is substantially higher — confirm the slip clutch torque setting matches the specific WDZ size rated input torque, not a generic value.

Output Shaft Coupling — OHL Position Matters

The WDZ longer LS output shaft (versus DZ) gives more flexibility in coupling hub positioning. For maximum overhung load (OHL) capacity, position sprockets or pulleys as close to the housing face as the coupling hub allows — the OHL decreases as the load moves further from the housing face along the LS shaft length. Verify permissible OHL for your WDZ size and load position before finalising the drive layout.

Coupling Guard — AS 4024 Compliance

The WDZ solid output shaft requires a coupling guard on every installation compliant with AS 4024 machinery safety standards. Guard design must account for the WDZ housing dimensions and the output shaft LS length to ensure the guard fully encloses the coupling or sprocket without contacting the housing or the driven equipment. For W-series machine retrofits, the existing coupling guard may be reusable if the output shaft dimensions are unchanged.

Oil — PAO Synthetic for Size 155–175 Continuous Duty

ISO VG 220 mineral oil for standard service. For WDZ sizes 155 and 175 in continuous duty at ratios 40:1+ and 40°C+ ambient, PAO synthetic ISO VG 220 extends the service interval to 5,000 hours and raises the thermal ceiling by 10–15%. At 7.5 kW input (WDZ 175), the heat generated at high ratios is proportionally more significant — the synthetic oil’s higher film strength and thermal stability materially extend worm wheel life under these conditions.

Thermal Sensor — Sizes 100+ in Enclosed Bays

NPT sensor port at sizes 100 and above. For WDZ units installed in enclosed machine bays, mine tunnels, or enclosed processing rooms where the housing cannot be visually inspected during operation, a PT100 connected to SCADA or a local alarm panel provides the overtemperature protection that periodic manual checks cannot reliably deliver in an unattended environment.