Greetings All,

Can anyone recommend the optimum speed to run a bead roller at? I have acquired a 120v gear drive with an output of 30 rpm. There is plenty of torque and no noticable run on. I know variable speed would be best but for now I plan to set it up with a chain drive and need to calculate the sproket sizes. Thanks

Tim

Tim,

Based on 30rpm and roller diameters of 3", it looks like you'd get a linear travel of about 4.7"/sec.

I calculated it this way: the circumference of a circle is equal to π x Diameter, so if the diameter of the bead rollers is 3" then the circumference is π x 3" or roughly 9.425". Then, if your motor turns the rollers at 30rpm, the linear speed that the sheet will go through will be 9.425"/rev x 30rev/min x 1min/60sec = 4.7"/sec. This seems a little fast to me. I think I'd gear it down by at least 4:1 to give me a little more time to think about what's happening

-- Arden

Good documentation Arden. I run mine at about 20rpm. That's too fast (for me) for turns. Great on the straights with a guide. When I had my variable speed, it was heaven. The motor went up in smoke and I had to revert to a two speed motor. Works, but not as good as variable speed. When I get the chance (and a new motor), I'll go back.

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