Special solutions gearboxes

If standard gearboxes cannot be used, special gearboxes (or custom gearboxes) from abp are used. These include planetary gearboxes, spur gearboxes, and bevel gearboxes. Manufactured individually to meet your requirements.

Our products

Special gearboxes are custom-made, customer-specific drive solutions that are designed and manufactured specifically for our customers’ applications. Our high quality standards enable our products to be used in a wide range of applications, from mechanical engineering (e.g., machine tools) to medical technology and sensitive measuring tasks.

Whether you need prototypes or small series production, we are at your side as a partner to develop customized solutions that perfectly match your requirements.

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Special solutions gearboxes from A to Z

Special gearboxes are individually developed drive systems that we at abp Antriebstechnik design and manufacture precisely to customer specifications. They are used in areas where standard gearboxes are not sufficient due to special requirements in terms of torque, speeds, velocity, installation space, or material properties.

The abp special solutions gearboxes are designed and manufactured for individual operating conditions and specifications such as environment, loads and operating conditions (e.g. temperatures, humidity and dirt). The choice of materials and other design details play a decisive role here.

At abp, we are leaders in the development and manufacture of such special solutions gearboxes and offer innovative drive solutions for a wide range of industries that guarantee maximum efficiency, reliability and durability.

On this page, we have summarized all frequently asked questions about special solutions gearboxes for you. Not the right one for you? Contact us now – we will be happy to advise you personally!

Contact person
abp-laabs-frank-13580
Frank Laabs
Key Account Gearing Parts & Gearboxes

Areas of application

What are special solutions gearboxes used for?

Customized gearboxes are used wherever standard gearboxes are not sufficient due to special requirements in terms of torque, speed, space, or material properties. They enable optimal adaptation to individual requirements and ensure maximum efficiency, maximum reliability, optimal performance, and longevity of the system. This leads to reduced downtime and long-term cost savings.

Typical areas of application are:

  • Plant and mechanical engineering: Customized precision gearboxes for special machines with specific requirements.
  • Conveyor and storage technology: Customized solutions for transport, sorting, and order picking systems, for example.
  • Food industry: In process plants and machinery in the food industry, where high quality and purity are essential.
  • Robotics: Precise drives for exact motion sequences and reliable positioning.
  • Biogas plants: Used to control the plant, minimize gas loss, and optimize the mixing ratio during combustion.
  • And other industries such as energy and environmental technology, medical technology, vehicle construction, etc.

Manufacture

What is important in the manufacture of special solutions gearboxes?

The production of gearbox solutions requires close cooperation between engineers and customers to ensure that all relevant factors are taken into account. Depending on the complexity, it can take several weeks to months from the review of CAD data to the design and production of special gearboxes.

The key aspects include:

  1. Efficiency: The requirements for power, torque, and load capacity of the
    special gearbox must be precisely defined. High efficiency is particularly important in order to minimize energy losses and maximize the service life of the gearbox. Optimized gear geometry and toothing, as well as the use of modern lubricants, can significantly increase the efficiency of special gearboxes.
  2. Material selection: Depending on requirements, special materials such as high-strength steels or corrosion-resistant alloys must be selected for the special gearbox and its components. An optimal weight-to-power ratio is also important. The durability and load-bearing capacity of special gearboxes are significantly influenced by the choice of materials.
  3. Manufacturing technology: Advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D modeling, CNC machining, high-precision measurement technology, and special surface treatments play an important role in translating the customer’s specific requirements into a functional and durable design. At abp, we therefore rely on the highest quality manufacturing technologies and tested machines in the production of our special gearboxes.
  4. Testing and validation: Extensive testing ensures that our special gearboxes can withstand the conditions for which they are intended. To ensure the highest quality and reliability, the special gearboxes are subjected to functional tests, load tests, and endurance tests under real operating conditions.

Types

What different types of special gearboxes are there?

Application-specific gearboxes differ in their design, function, and application. At abp Antriebstechnik, we develop both classic angular gearboxes and combined or completely newly designed drive systems that are precisely tailored to your requirements.

  • Spur gear: Universally applicable, robust, and precise. Ideal for applications with parallel shaft arrangements.
  • Worm gearbox: Particularly smooth-running and quiet. Perfectly suited for applications requiring a large transmission range in a compact design.
  • Bevel gears: Enable torque transmission at an axis angle of 90° and are ideal for machines with complex spatial conditions.
  • Special designs / hybrid transmissions: Combination of several transmission types or integration of additional functions (e.g., sensors, clutch, brake systems, torque limiters).
  • Special gearboxes for extreme conditions: For example, for high temperatures, aggressive environments, vacuum or offshore applications.

Selection

What factors should be considered when selecting a special gearbox?

To ensure that a special solution in gear construction fits your application exactly, precise coordination between you and our design team is crucial. Design is always a joint development process in which your requirements and our technical expertise go hand in hand.

The aim is to define all relevant operating, environmental, and performance parameters as accurately as possible. This is the only way to ensure that the gearbox is optimally tailored to your application and achieves maximum performance, energy efficiency, and service life.

  • Torque and rotational speed: What forces and speeds occur? These values are decisive for the dimensioning of gears, bearings, and shafts.
  • Operating environment: Factors such as temperature, humidity, dust, chemical exposure, hygiene requirements, or explosion protection conditions influence the choice of materials and lubrication, for example.
  • Installation space and mounting position: The available space determines the design (e.g., spur gear or angular gear).
  • Operating mode and load profile: When designing a special gearbox, it is essential to know whether the gearbox will be in continuous operation, intermittent operation, or a start-stop cycle. Shock loads, changing directions of rotation, and high starting torques must also be taken into account.
  • Service life and maintenance intervals: A durable special gearbox must be tailored to the expected operating life and maintenance strategy.
  • Noise emission and smooth running: Acoustic requirements (e.g., in sensitive areas such as laboratories) and special specifications for smooth running must be defined during the planning phase.
  • Safety and additional functions: Should the special gearbox be equipped with torque limiters, sensors, brakes, or special couplings, for example?

Maintenance

What are the most important maintenance measures for special gearboxes?

Even with the highest manufacturing quality, custom-made gearboxes require regular maintenance to ensure performance, safety, and service life. Professional maintenance minimizes downtime, prevents damage, and reduces operating costs in the long term.

  • Regular visual and functional checks: Check for leaks, unusual noises, vibrations, or temperature changes.
  • Lubricant monitoring: Check and, if necessary, change the gear oil. Contaminated or aged oil can lead to increased wear.
  • Check seals and bearings: Seals should be checked regularly for cracks or material fatigue. Defective bearings can cause premature vibration or bearing damage.
  • Tighten screw connections: All fastenings should be checked regularly, especially in applications subject to high levels of vibration.
  • Temperature and vibration measurement: Modern special gearboxes can be equipped with sensors to detect critical conditions at an early stage.
  • Documentation and maintenance interval planning: Complete documentation helps to optimize maintenance cycles and avoid downtime.

What services does abp offer in the field of special solutions gearboxes?

Our experienced designers and technically skilled employees develop the optimum solution even for complex requirements. Our knowledge of materials and the in-depth expertise we have built up over 25 years of experience guarantee that your projects are implemented efficiently and to the highest quality standards.

We have built up in-depth expertise, particularly in the field of customized solutions. We develop customized products for your individual project quickly and easily. We work alongside you as a partner throughout all phases of the process.

  1. Requirements analysis
  2. Consulting & Project Planning
  3. Design and development of customer-specific gearboxes
  4. Manufacture of prototypes, one-off items, and small to medium series
  5. Testing, assembly, and commissioning
  6. Maintenance, repair, and spare parts service


At abp, we pride ourselves on providing personal and honest advice from planning and design to manufacturing—with the highest standards of quality and service. Short communication channels, expert discussions, our own production facilities, and 25 years of experience enable abp Antriebstechnik to implement your requirements and wishes at short notice.

We work closely with you right from the early stages of design to find or develop the optimum gear solutions with the exact specifications you require.

We can do even more! Our vertical range of manufacture enables us to implement a time-saving and economical solution for your application.

Contact us – together we will successfully implement your project.

Modification

Can existing transmissions be modified or optimized?

Yes. We can specifically overhaul, modernize, or optimize existing transmissions, whether they are standard or special transmissions. In many cases, modification is significantly more economical than a complete redesign, especially if the basic design of the transmission is still functional.

Our experienced engineers first conduct a detailed analysis of the existing drive. This involves evaluating operating data, wear patterns, temperature behavior, noise levels, material condition, and energy efficiency. Based on this, we develop a concept for adapting the existing gearbox to current or future requirements.

Typical optimization measures include:

  • Performance enhancement: Increasing torque, speed, or gear ratio to adapt the transmission to new operating conditions.
  • Efficiency optimization: Reduction of friction losses through modernized gear teeth, improved lubrication, or lighter materials.
  • Material and surface modifications: Replacement of components with high-strength, wear- or corrosion-resistant materials for longer service life.
  • Noise and vibration reduction: Revision of gear geometry, bearings, and lubrication to reduce noise.
  • Retrofit and modernization: Integration of new technologies or sensor technology (e.g., temperature and torque monitoring) into existing gearboxes.
  • Spare parts production: Replication or reproduction of gearbox components that are no longer available for older machines.

What advantages do abp's special solutions gearboxes offer?

The special solutions gearboxes from abp are customized and flexible solutions that can also be used for unusual applications. No challenge is too great for our experts – they develop a wide range of drive concepts with practical ideas. Even small adjustments to a gearbox are often enough to find the perfect solution for your requirements – modified and optimally suited. With our numerous manufacturing options, we at abp are the perfect partner at your side.

Because at abp, we don’t just manufacture your special parts for you. On request, we are at your side as consultants throughout the entire planning phase, from development and production to the handover and assembly of the finished product and beyond. Should maintenance, repair or spare parts production be necessary, you can of course contact our team at any time.

Contact us today with your inquiry.

Other gearboxes

Abp_WGKG_4060_Kegelradgetriebe_Winkelgetriebe_12456
Angular gearbox
abp-sgsg-4050-schneckengetriebe_12441
Worm gearboxes