EP-KF / EP-KH Series Hypoid Gear Planetary Gearbox

这 EP-KF and EP-KH series hypoid gear gearboxes extend the Korea Ever-Power transmission range with a gear mechanism that is selected specifically for its noise characteristics, its offset-axis geometry, and its hollow-shaft installation options. Four variants address different output interface requirements: KF S1/S2 with solid output shaft, KF-S3 with a hollow bore that allows a machine shaft to pass through the gearbox body, KF-S4 with hollow shaft and shrink-disc clamping for shaft connection without a keyway, and KH with hollow shaft and rotating output flange for direct-face load mounting.

Output torque spans 18 N·m to 1,600 N·m across seven frame sizes from KF060 to KF240. Single-stage backlash is ≤3 arcmin and two-stage ≤4 arcmin — wider than the P0 ≤1 arcmin available in the EP-AB planetary series but appropriate for the industrial automation, food processing, and packaging applications that are the primary KF/KH use cases. The operating temperature range is 0 °C to +90 °C — the hypoid gear lubricant specification does not extend below 0 °C.

Three Reasons Korean Engineers Specify KF/KH Over Planetary

KF S1 / KF S2

Standard solid output shaft — the directly equivalent of a planetary gearbox's output shaft in terms of load connection. Use KF S1/S2 when the application requires a solid output shaft connected to a coupling, gear, or pulley, and the hollow-shaft options of S3/S4/KH are not needed. S1 (smooth shaft) for clamped connections; S2 (with keyway) for keyed hub connections.

KF-S3 — Hollow Shaft

The hollow bore of KF-S3 allows the driven machine shaft to pass completely through the gearbox body. The gearbox clamps around the shaft via the hollow bore interface. This eliminates the output coupling and reduces drive unit axial depth — used in Korean conveyor head drives, rotary table through-shaft arrangements, and packaging machine actuators where a continuous machine shaft is a structural requirement.

KF-S4 — Hollow Shaft + Shrink Disc

KF-S4 adds a shrink-disc clamping mechanism to the hollow-shaft bore — the shaft is clamped without a keyway by tightening the shrink disc, which applies radial pressure uniformly around the shaft circumference. Preferred over S3 when the machine shaft must be connected without a keyway (smooth shaft, no machining required) and the clamping force distribution must be uniform to avoid shaft bending. Used in Korean high-cycle packaging and pharmaceutical machine drives.

KH — Hollow Shaft + Rotating Flange

KH's output is the rotating flange face rather than a shaft — the load is bolted directly to the flange. The hollow bore allows a tie rod, cable, or pneumatic supply tube to pass through the gearbox centreline while the load rotates with the flange. Used in Korean rotary table direct-drive configurations, circular fixture drives, and indexing table systems where the load is bolted to the gearbox output face and the gearbox body is fixed to the machine structure.

Food Processing Lines — Low Noise, KF S2 or KF-S3

Korean food and beverage production lines operating in enclosed facilities where operators work near running equipment specify low-noise drive units to meet Korean Occupational Safety and Health standards for workplace noise levels. EP-KF delivers lower operating noise than an equivalent planetary gearbox at the same output torque and speed — relevant for Korean dairy, beverage filling, and ready-meal production lines where the drive units run in close proximity to processing operators throughout multi-hour shifts. KF-S3 hollow-shaft variant is commonly used for conveyor head drives where the conveyor shaft passes through the gearbox body. Compatible with precision CV drive shafts for offset conveyor drive layouts.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing — KF-S4 Shrink Disc for Clean Connections

Korean pharmaceutical production equipment requires drive components that can be assembled and disassembled cleanly for validation and maintenance procedures, without keyway machining that creates particle-trapping pockets on machine shafts. KF-S4's shrink-disc hollow shaft clamps to a smooth unkeyed shaft without any shaft machining — the connection is released by loosening the shrink disc, allowing the gearbox to be slid off for cleaning or replacement. This clean-assembly property makes KF-S4 the specified choice for Korean GMP oral solid dosage and tablet coating machine drives at 0 °C to +90 °C ambient temperature.

Printing and Packaging Machines — KH Rotating Flange for Rotary Actuators

Korean commercial printing machines and flexible packaging equipment use rotary actuators where the gearbox body is fixed to the machine frame and the output flange rotates to drive a cam, die, or seal jaw. KH's rotating output flange — with hollow bore for pneumatic or cable throughput — serves this application directly. The hypoid gear mechanism's lower noise is also valued in these applications where the machine operator station is adjacent to the printing or packaging station. KH075 and KH100 at ratios 5:1–25:1 cover Korean web-fed printing machine auxiliary drive requirements.

Rotary Table Direct Drive — KH for Through-Bore Rotary Tables

Korean precision rotary tables with a central bore for cable, pneumatic, or hydraulic throughput use KH's rotating flange and hollow bore for the drive unit — the table top is bolted to the KH flange face, and cables or supply tubes pass through the hollow bore as the table rotates. This configuration eliminates the rotary union or cable management system that would be required with a solid-shaft gearbox driving through a coupling. KH100 and KH140 at ratios 20:1–100:1 cover Korean indexing and positioning table drive requirements in the 0 °C to +90 °C temperature range.

Conveyor Head Drives — KF-S3 Through-Shaft at Low Noise

Korean indoor industrial conveyor systems — electronics assembly, PCB handling, automotive component inspection lines — use KF-S3 for head-drum drives where the conveyor belt shaft passes through the gearbox hollow bore. The S3 arrangement maintains a continuous shaft between the drive bearing housings on either side of the conveyor head, improving shaft alignment and reducing vibration transmission to the conveyor structure. The lower noise of the hypoid gear mechanism is valued in Korean electronics assembly facilities where the manufacturing environment specifies low ambient noise. Downstream systems integrate worm gear reducers for additional speed reduction on slow-speed inspection conveyors.

Agricultural Post-Harvest Processing — KF S2 Indoor Drives

Korean post-harvest grain drying facilities, rice processing plants, and indoor food packaging lines — all of which operate at ambient temperatures above 0 °C — use EP-KF for auger drives, sorting belt heads, and packaging conveyor drives where lower noise compared to a planetary unit is a secondary selection criterion alongside compact installation dimensions. KF S2 at KF100–KF140 covers the torque range of Korean post-harvest processing drive applications. Integration with agricultural bevel gearboxes for multi-output post-harvest sorting line configurations.

• ✔Hypoid gear mesh contact pattern verified — tooth contact across full active flank width
• ✔Backlash ≤3 arcmin (single) / ≤4 arcmin (two-stage) measured and certified per batch
• ✔Hollow-shaft bore concentricity verified — S3/S4/KH centreline accuracy confirmed
• ✔IP65 ingress protection per IEC 60529 — every unit
• ✔Hypoid gear oil fill confirmed — proper lubricant type for 0 °C to +90 °C range

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EP-KF-S3 100, i=20 for the head drum drive of an indoor bread cooling conveyor line. Our operators work directly beside the conveyor for 8-hour shifts; we were getting noise complaints with a planetary unit. Switching to KF-S3 reduced the measured noise level at the operator station from 76 dB(A) to 69 dB(A) — a meaningful reduction in a facility where Korean occupational health standards apply. The hollow-shaft S3 arrangement also let us maintain the continuous conveyor shaft through the gearbox, removing a shaft coupling from the maintenance schedule. 22 months, zero drive-related issues.

EP-KF-S4 075, i=25 for tablet coating pan drives on our GMP line. The KFDA qualification process required that all shaft connections be cleanable without partial disassembly — keyways on drive shafts were identified as potential particle-trapping sites in our FMEA. KF-S4's shrink-disc connection is on a smooth shaft. During the annual re-qualification inspection, our auditor confirmed the shrink-disc connection met the cleanability requirement. Easy to install, easy to remove for maintenance, smooth shaft surface for SOP compliance. 19 months, 6 coating pans, zero qualification non-conformances from the drive connection. Korea Ever-Power delivered the IQ/OQ documentation package for the KF-S4 in Korean within 5 working days of order placement.

EP-KH 100, i=35 for a rotary die-cutting station on a web-fed carton printing machine — the die cylinder is bolted to the KH flange face, and the pneumatic supply tube for the die actuators passes through the hollow bore as the cylinder rotates. This replaced a solid-shaft gearbox with an external rotary union for the pneumatic supply; the rotary union required weekly maintenance and was a source of press downtime. KH hollow bore eliminated the rotary union completely. The noise level of the KH is noticeably lower than the previous planetary unit on this station — relevant because the operator clamps the print run samples at this station. 17 months, 3 press lines, zero pneumatic connection failures.

等速万向节传动轴

For KF S1/S2 output shaft configurations where the driven load is offset from the gearbox centreline — dual-drive conveyor head arrangements, offset actuator connections — precision CV joint drive shafts transmit torque through the angular and parallel offset without adding noise to the drive system, complementing the low-noise characteristic of the hypoid gear mechanism.

蜗轮减速器

For vertical KF/KH installations where gravity load holding is required on power-off — vertical conveyor head drives, vertical rotary table columns — a downstream self-locking worm gear reducer provides position holding without an electromagnetic brake. Note: ensure the worm stage is also rated for the 0 °C minimum temperature if the installation is in a cold environment.

农业齿轮箱

For indoor Korean post-harvest processing equipment — grain sorting, rice milling, packaged food production — where KF provides the primary drive reduction and downstream agricultural bevel gearboxes distribute power to multiple processing heads. Note: the EP-KF 0 °C lower temperature limit means this combination is for indoor post-harvest facilities only, not for field agricultural machinery operating in Korean winter conditions.

问Is EP-KF/KH a planetary gearbox? The name says "planetary gearbox" but the mechanism description says "hypoid gear."

EP-KF and EP-KH are precision gearboxes in the Korea Ever-Power range, but they use a hypoid gear mechanism rather than a planetary gear mechanism. The "planetary gearbox" designation in the product family name refers to the product range category — servo-compatible precision gearboxes with motor adapter plates — rather than to the specific internal gear mechanism. The hypoid gear set (spiral bevel gears with offset axes) is a fundamentally different mechanism from the sun-planet-ring arrangement of a planetary gearbox. The key practical differences are: hypoid delivers lower noise, enables hollow-shaft variants, and has a higher minimum operating temperature (0 °C vs −10 °C for planetary).

问My application temperature may occasionally reach −5 °C. Can I use EP-KF/KH?

No — the minimum operating temperature of EP-KF/KH is 0 °C with the standard hypoid gear oil fill. Operating at −5 °C would be below the lubrication specification and risks inadequate oil film formation at the hypoid gear contact, leading to accelerated wear and potential gear damage. If temperatures may occasionally drop below 0 °C, specify an EP planetary series (EP-AB, EP-AF, EP-AE, or similar) which are grease-lubricated and rated to −10 °C. If you specifically need a hollow-shaft or low-noise feature alongside sub-zero operation, contact Korea Ever-Power to discuss whether a special lubricant specification for KF/KH can extend the lower temperature limit for your application.

问How do I choose between KF-S3 and KF-S4 hollow-shaft variants?

KF-S3 uses the hollow bore with a standard bore interface — the machine shaft is typically secured with a keyway or set screw in the bore. KF-S4 uses the same hollow bore but adds a shrink-disc clamping mechanism that grips a smooth unkeyed shaft through uniform radial pressure. Choose KF-S4 when: the machine shaft must remain smooth and unkeyed (GMP or cleanroom requirements), when the shaft-to-gearbox connection must be fully releasable without shaft removal, or when uniform clamping force distribution is required to avoid shaft bending under asymmetric key loads. KF-S3 is the simpler and lower-cost choice when a standard keyed shaft connection is acceptable.

问EP-KF single-stage backlash is ≤3 arcmin. EP-AB P1 is also ≤3 arcmin. Are they equivalent for precision applications?

Numerically, yes — both EP-KF single-stage and EP-AB P1 are ≤3 arcmin. The practical differences are: EP-KF does not offer a tighter grade (no P0 equivalent); EP-AB P1 can be upgraded to P0 ≤1 arcmin when higher precision is eventually required without changing the product series. For applications where ≤3 arcmin is the final requirement and is not expected to tighten in future machine generations, EP-KF's lower noise and hollow-shaft options may make it the better choice. For applications where precision requirements may tighten in future versions, specifying EP-AB P1 now preserves the upgrade path to P0 without mechanical redesign.

问Does KH's rotating flange produce any backlash at the flange face different from the stated ≤3/≤4 arcmin?

The backlash specification of KH (≤3 arcmin single-stage, ≤4 arcmin two-stage) is measured at the rotating flange — the backlash at the flange face is the same stated specification, not an additional value added on top of the gear mesh backlash. The flange is rigidly coupled to the hypoid gear output without additional compliance. However, for KH applications where the load is bolted at a radius from the flange centreline, the effective angular error at the load radius will be larger than at the centreline — the stated ≤3 arcmin applies at the flange rotation axis, not at the load bolt circle.