Electric motors and gearbox

A gearbox is a gear train designed to modify the speed and torque characteristics of a motor. When gearboxes reduce speed, they simultaneously increase the torque (turning force) at the output. When they increase speed, they reduce torque.

Speed reducers are a popular term for gearboxes that reduce an electric motor’s speed and increase the torque. Because almost every application of gearboxes involves reducing speed and increasing torque, these terms are often used interchangeably. However, speed reducers are really a subcategory of gearboxes, and it is possible to use a gearbox to increase the speed of the output at the cost of torque.