The demand for food products across the globe has skyrocketed since 2010 because of the fast rate in which the world’s population is growing. The World Bank estimates the planet’s population will increase by 80 million annually until 2025. The availability of new land, however, is growing at a much slower pace. As a result, agricultural machinery manufacturers, Falk gearbox specialists, and farmers are coming up with new means to use land efficiently. This trend has led to shortened cropping cycles, which has increased the need for agricultural machinery. The increased wear in equipment has Falk gearbox manufacturers seeing an increase in demand for gears within bearings. Thanks to highly efficient gearboxes and the availability of replacement parts, the agricultural industry is able to keep up with demand.
Falk Gears and Their Design in the Agricultural Industry
To be effective, agricultural equipment must possess the following traits:
- High load handling capacity
- Energy efficient
- Ability to withstand extreme temperature and conditions
- High mechanical strength to operate in tough or heavy soil
Common bearing designs seen in agricultural machinery include a double-row roller bearings and double-row angular contact ball bearings. The bearings and Falk speed gearboxes within them have two rows of rollers with different diameters maximize load capacity while minimizing frictional losses. Some machinery used for sowing crops use four-point contact ball bearings. One of the most important factors in ensuring equipment efficiency and longevity is the lubrication of bearings and Falk gearbox parts.
It’s common for bearings and Falk gearboxes in agricultural machinery to be exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including mud, heat, dust and moisture. This equipment must remain reliable while staving off lubricant contamination, which can shorten the life of bearings and Falk gears. Incidentally, the seals that protect the respective components must also be able to withstand extreme environments. Triple-lip seals and triple-lip cartridge seals are among the most commonly used for bearings in agricultural equipment.
Future Demand for Falk Gearboxes for Agricultural Machinery
As cropping cycles shorten to meet food demands, the agricultural industry will rely on its machinery more heavily and more often. Increased equipment use naturally leads to increased wear on gear teeth and a greater need for replacement components. Incidentally, the revenue generated from replacement parts will make up a large share of the revenue earned from gears and bearings in the agricultural equipment industry. This share is as high as 50 percent in developed nations where agriculture-related mechanization is more common than in other parts of the world. In other countries, the share of spare parts ranges between 33 and 50 percent.
High-quality spare Falk gearbox parts are crucial for agricultural applications. A worn out gear can create significant losses to farmers, the primary end users of equipment. Worn gears are less efficient because of frictional losses, which may result in lower quality harvested crops.
Gearboxes in Food Processing Equipment
Gearboxes are also vital to getting harvested food to dining tables. A variety of food processing equipment use Falk gears, including:
- Mills
- Kneading machines
- Mixers
- Processing equipment
- Agitators
- Extruders
In the food industry, gearboxes must be able to withstand harsh environmental conditions—continuous operation, extreme temperatures, moisture, and arid environments—while meeting hygiene and safety regulations. To meet health standards and prevent lubrication contamination, bearings and gearboxes in food processing machinery have special sealing elements. Gears may also have high gear ratios to maximize space, use special steel alloys, and use food-safe oils and coloring agents.
Gearboxes have an undeniably important role in agricultural equipment at every stage of the food cycle—from preparing soil to sowing, harvesting and preparing goods. As the population and demand for food continue to grow, there will be an increased demand for heavy-duty agricultural equipment and spare parts to keep them operational. Shorter crop cycles will increase the load and wear on gearboxes, making quality replacements that are simple to access crucial.
Mar-Dustrial offers a large catalog of speed reducers, drives, couplings and fluid sealing products. Our large inventory of obsolete and surplus reducers makes it simple to find replacements for older agricultural equipment. If we don’t have exactly what you need, we’ll tap into our network of suppliers to find it. Contact Mar-Dustrial 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for all your power transmission needs.
Posted under Falk Gearboxes, Machinery Maintenance on Monday, April 2nd, 2018