Worm Gearbox

The Worm Gearbox is a compact, right-angle speed reducer featuring a cylindrical worm (screw-like input) meshing with a perpendicular worm wheel (output gear), typically made of hardened steel for the worm and bronze for the wheel to minimize friction and wear. This design excels at achieving very high reduction ratios, such as 10:1 up to 60:1 or more, in a single stage, which translates to massive torque multiplication and a significant reduction in speed, often providing a self-locking feature (the worm wheel cannot drive the worm), and is housed in robust cast iron or aluminum. It is highly valued for its quiet operation, compact size, and reliability in applications like conveyor systems, escalators, agitators, and presses.