EP-FAL Series Planetary Gearbox with Integrated Timing Belt Pulley

EP-FAL Series — Planetary Gearbox with Integrated Timing Belt Pulley

One unit replaces three: gearbox + pulley hub + support bearing. The integrated timing belt pulley output delivers servo-grade precision directly to the belt — no coupling, no alignment shimming, no external bearing.

❌ Conventional Approach — 3 Components

3 components, 2 alignments, extra axial length, belt tension loads the output shaft bearing.

✅ EP-FAL — 1 Component

1 component, 0 additional alignments, minimum axial length, belt tension absorbed internally.

The EP-FAL output housing carries a precision-machined timing belt pulley as an integral part of the output flange. The pulley groove profile (T5, AT5, T10, AT10 or custom) is machined directly into the output housing to tight TIR tolerances — the same surface that forms the planet carrier bearing outer race. This means the belt pitch circle is concentric with the gear centreline to within the bearing runout specification.

The oversized cross-roller output bearing in the EP-FAL is designed to absorb the radial force generated by belt tension — rated to 34,200 N at EP-FAL280 — without requiring an external support bearing on the belt shaft. This eliminates the support bracket design, simplifies machine assembly, and removes the concentricity stack-up between the gearbox output shaft and the separately-mounted pulley hub.

• ▸Pulley groove machined to the same centreline as the planetary stage — zero additional runout
• ▸Radial force rating up to 34,200 N absorbs belt tension without external support bearing
• ▸Reduces component count by 2 parts — no separate hub, no support bearing bracket
• ▸Start ratios from i=2 — the lowest available in the Korea Ever-Power range
• ▸30,000-hour design life; IP65; NYOGEL 792D lifetime lubrication

EP-FAL: 7 frame sizes, 070–280 mm, integrated belt pulley output

Integral Pulley Machining

Belt groove profile machined directly into the output housing in the same setup as the bearing outer race — pulley TIR (total indicated runout) is controlled to the same tolerance as the gearbox output bearing runout.

Highest Radial Force in Range

F_rad rating of up to 34,200 N at EP-FAL280 — the highest in the Korea Ever-Power range — is sized specifically to absorb the belt tension from wide, high-pitch timing belts without an external support bearing.

Ratios from i=2

1-stage ratios start at i=2, enabling low-ratio applications where the primary speed reduction comes from the belt stage and only a modest planetary reduction is needed for inertia matching or torque boost.

30,000 hr Intermittent Life

Under intermittent duty (S5, ED ≤ 60%), the EP-FAL achieves 30,000 hours. For continuous duty (S1), the design life is ≥15,000 hr. Specify duty cycle when ordering if continuous operation is required.

Universal Motor Adapter

Same C1–C10 clamp-ring adapter system as the EP-FAB and EP-FAD. Any servo motor validated on those series mounts directly to the corresponding EP-FAL frame size.

IP65 + NYOGEL 792D

Full IP65 sealing including the pulley output end. NYOGEL 792D lifetime grease — no maintenance windows, suitable for dusty machining and wood-working environments where gantry drives are often located.

EP-FAL belt tension alignment and pulley output dimensions

The motor input assembly follows the same clamp-ring adapter process as the EP-FAB/EP-FAD. Three considerations are specific to the timing belt pulley output:

• ▸DIN 5 profile-ground planetary gears — ring gear and planet gears, same accuracy class as EP-FAD and EP-FAB
• ▸Pulley TIR measurement — integral pulley groove TIR verified with a dial gauge at 100 rpm after final assembly; units outside spec are remachined
• ▸Loaded noise and vibration test at rated speed under radial belt-simulating load — not just free-running; units exceeding ≤56–70 dB(A) limits are rejected
• ▸Individual backlash measurement and grade stamping — P0/P1/P2 grade verified and stamped before shipment
• ▸IP65 pneumatic seal test — all dynamic seal interfaces including pulley-end seal pressure-tested before boxing

CNC Gantry Drives

X/Y axis gantry drives on CNC routers, plasma cutters, and laser systems. The integrated pulley eliminates the separate pulley hub that is otherwise a common source of lost motion in gantry axes.

Pick-and-Place Axes

Linear servo axes in pick-and-place, SMT, and electronics assembly machines. Low-ratio (i=2–4) configurations match servo inertia to the belt/load while keeping the total drive package compact.

Packaging Machine Drives

Form-fill-seal jaw drives, carton folding axes, and labelling conveyor drives where timing belt output provides synchronised multi-axis coordination without additional encoder mounting.

Laboratory Automation

Sample transfer gantries in genomics, drug discovery, and diagnostic instruments. Low noise (≤56 dB at EP-FAL070) and IP65 suit the clean, quiet requirements of lab environments.

Wood & Stone CNC

Axis drives in wood routing and stone cutting centres where dusty environments require IP65 and belt drive is preferred over rack-and-pinion for cost. The large F_rad rating handles the high belt tension of wide AT10 belts.

Linear Robot Axes

Cartesian robot X/Y/Z axes with belt-driven linear modules. The integrated pulley reduces the joint component count from five (motor + gearbox + coupling + hub + support bearing) to three (motor + EP-FAL + belt).

Right-angle variant: 90° bevel output + integrated timing belt pulley. Choose when the servo motor must fold at 90° to the belt axis. Ratios up to 180:1.

Square-flange inline gearbox with shaft output. Choose when the drive mechanism is rack-and-pinion or direct coupling rather than timing belt.

Low-cost right-angle reduction alternative. Suitable for low-speed, low-precision belt drives where self-locking is beneficial and the planetary accuracy of EP-FAL is not required.

Constant-velocity couplings for hybrid drive configurations where the EP-FAL belt stage is followed by an articulating link or angular misalignment in the drive line.

Q: Can I change the timing belt pulley groove profile or tooth count after delivery?

No — the pulley is machined integrally into the output housing and cannot be changed without replacing the output housing. This is the trade-off of the integral design. Before ordering, confirm the belt pitch, tooth count, and groove profile with your belt supplier. If the belt system design is still evolving, consider using the EP-FAD (round-flange shaft output) or EP-FAB (square-flange shaft output) with a separately-mounted pulley hub — these allow the pulley to be changed independently of the gearbox.

Q: Why does the service life specification say "30,000 hr intermittent / 15,000 hr continuous"?

The dual life specification reflects the fact that the EP-FAL's output bearing carries a permanent radial load from belt tension even when the gearbox is not transmitting torque — unlike a shaft-output gearbox where the radial force is zero at rest. Under intermittent duty (S5, ED ≤ 60%), the bearing spends 40% or more of its operating time in lower-load conditions, achieving 30,000 hr equivalent bearing life. Under continuous S1 duty at rated torque and rated belt tension simultaneously, the bearing L10 life reduces to ≥15,000 hr. The correct life to quote depends on the actual duty cycle of your application — provide your cycle profile when requesting application validation.

Q: How is the radial force rating affected by the point where belt tension is applied?

The published F_rad values assume the belt force acts at the pulley centreline (X = L/2 along the output housing). When the belt engages at a different axial position, a position load factor K_a must be applied: F_rad_actual ≤ K_a × F_rad_rated. K_a is always ≤ 1.0 for positions away from the centre — meaning the allowable radial force decreases. K_a curves for each frame size are published in the Korea Ever-Power dimension drawings. For initial sizing, assume K_a = 0.75 if the belt pull point is near the pulley edge rather than the centre.

Q: What belt profiles are supported, and can I specify a non-standard tooth count?

Standard profiles are T5, AT5, T10, and AT10. A custom groove profile (including HTD 5M, HTD 8M, or other pitches) can be machined on request — specify the groove profile drawing or standard reference when ordering. The tooth count affects the pulley pitch circle diameter (PCD) and therefore the output linear speed per servo revolution. Korea Ever-Power can machine any tooth count that results in a PCD consistent with the housing OD for the selected frame. Confirm the desired tooth count and PCD when placing your order or technical enquiry.

Q: What is the TIR specification of the integrated pulley, and why does it matter?

The pulley groove TIR (total indicated runout) is the variation in the groove pitch circle radius as the output housing rotates one full turn. Korea Ever-Power machines the EP-FAL pulley to the same TIR tolerance as the output bearing radial runout — typically 0.02–0.05 mm depending on frame size. In a belt-driven linear axis, pulley TIR contributes directly to periodic position error at the frequency of the output shaft rotation. By integrating the pulley into the output housing on the same lathe centre as the bearing, Korea Ever-Power eliminates the hub-to-gearbox mounting concentricity error that is otherwise 0.05–0.15 mm on a separately-mounted pulley hub.

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"On our high-speed pick-and-place machine, the EP-FAL095 at i=3 reduced the Y-axis drive from five components (servo + gearbox + coupling + hub + support bearing) to three (servo + EP-FAL + belt). Assembly time per machine dropped by 45 minutes and the axis inertia match improved because we eliminated the coupling and hub rotational mass."

"Running EP-FAL190 at i=4 on a wood CNC router X-axis with an AT10 × 50 mm belt. F_rad at our belt tension is 12,400 N — well within the 15,700 N rating. After 2 years in a sawdust-heavy environment, IP65 holds perfectly. No external support bearing, no bearing housing to pack with grease."

"Used EP-FAL150 at i=5 on a packaging machine jaw drive. The integral pulley concentricity is noticeably better than our previous separate hub — we were able to remove the periodic error compensation filter from the servo programme and still meet our ±0.05 mm jaw synchronisation spec. Note: confirm belt profile before ordering — we forgot and needed to reorder."