Bison^®'s Advanced 200 Series Parallel Shaft Gearmotor for Ice Dispensing Application

Background
Bison^® was engaged by a customer in the beverage dispensing industry seeking to improve the reliability of the ice dispensing function within their machines.

These machines utilize gearmotor technology to rotate stainless steel bars that agitate ice within the bin and dispense it into cups. The high field failure rate of the existing designs motivated the customer to seek a change, along with a desire to reduce the machine's footprint.

Challenges:
• Variable Torque Requirements – Calculating and understanding torque requirements is challenging due to different types of ice (full or half cube) and varying field conditions such as half bin, full bin, overfull bin, power outages, or slower period shutoffs.

• Condensation Issues – High humidity in certain geographic locations can lead to significant condensation buildup in the motor.

• High Torque Loads – Ice bridging/balling within the ice bin results in torque loads to the gearmotor that are up to 8 times the steady-state rated load requirement.

Solution:
After extensive testing to understand the application requirements, Bison^® developed a custom parallel shaft AC gearmotor.

• Compact Design – Downsized the overall footprint while enhancing the load capacity of the design in key areas to address spike loads in certain conditions.

• Condensation Management – Incorporated features within the gearmotor to mitigate and manage condensation in the motor.

• Reliability Standards – Met and exceeded reliability expectations with AGMA standards used to develop the bearing and gearing system.

Results:
• Successful Implementation – The initial design was successfully tested and adopted in the application.

• Expanded Solutions – Three additional custom platforms have been developed and are currently serving the industry.

From conquering condensation to mastering torque extremes, our custom gearmotor solutions are engineered to keep your ice dispensing systems running flawlessly. Partner with Bison^® and power your innovation with reliability that never melts under pressure.