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Gear Ratio & Conveyor Speed Calculator

Calculate output RPM and belt speed from motor speed, an input-to-output gear ratio and roller diameter.

Enter your values

Try an example

Your result

Belt speed15.70796327 m/min
Output shaft speed (rpm)
50
Belt speed (m/s)
0.2617993878
Roller circumference (mm)
314.1592654

Calculated

Motor turns → gearbox output turns → belt travel
Gear Ratio & Conveyor Speed CalculatorMOTORGEARBOXDRIVE ROLLER1500 rpm30:1Ø 100 mm

How this answer is calculated

These steps use your current values. Change an input to follow a different calculation.

  1. 1

    Reduce the input shaft speed

    1500 ÷ 30 = 50 rpm
  2. 2

    Find travel per roller revolution

    π × 100 = 314.1592654 mm
  3. 3

    Multiply revolutions by travel

    50 × 314.1592654 ÷ 1000 = 15.70796327 m/min

How to use this on a job

Follow one motor revolution through the mechanics. A 30:1 reducer needs thirty input turns for one output turn. The roller then moves one circumference of belt for each output turn. That chain is the calculation.

  1. 01

    Enter actual input shaft speed. A drive frequency alone does not determine actual induction-motor speed; slip and the motor design also matter.

  2. 02

    Enter the ratio as input revolutions per output revolution. A reducer uses a number greater than one. A speed-increasing stage can use a ratio below one.

  3. 03

    Enter the effective driving diameter, including any relevant covering. Read output RPM, metres per minute and metres per second. Compare predicted travel over a measured interval with the actual machine.

Work through one example

belt speed [m/min] = input rpm × π × diameter [mm] ÷ (ratio × 1000)

A 1,500 rpm input through a 30:1 reducer turns the roller at 50 rpm. A 100 mm roller has circumference about 314.159 mm, giving about 15.708 m/min. Doubling the diameter doubles belt speed at the same RPM; doubling the reduction ratio halves it.

Before you trust the answer

This is an ideal kinematic relationship with no belt slip. It does not size a motor, predict acceleration torque, or establish safe speed. Multiple stages multiply their input/output ratios. If an encoder is mounted elsewhere, calculate the travel at its own shaft rather than borrowing the motor’s ratio.

1,500 rpm motor and a 100 mm driving roller

ReductionRoller speedIdeal belt speed
15:1100 rpm31.416 m/min
30:150 rpm15.708 m/min
60:125 rpm7.854 m/min

Questions that come up on the job

Which way round is the gear ratio?

Here, 30:1 means thirty input turns for one output turn. Divide input RPM by 30. For several stages, multiply their input-to-output ratios first. A 5:1 stage followed by a 6:1 stage gives an overall 30:1 reduction.

Why does the real belt move at a different speed?

The calculation uses the effective driving diameter and assumes no slip. A coating changes the diameter; belt slip changes actual travel. Measure travel over a known time, then investigate the mismatch before changing scaling to conceal it.

TRYPLC FIELD REFERENCE / 01

Gear Ratio & Conveyor Speed Calculator

Calculate output RPM and belt speed from motor speed, an input-to-output gear ratio and roller diameter.

  • output rpm = input rpm ÷ ratio
  • circumference = π × diameter
  • m/min = output rpm × diameter [mm] × π ÷ 1000
  • m/s = m/min ÷ 60
Gear Ratio & Conveyor Speed CalculatorMOTORGEARBOXDRIVE ROLLER1500 rpm30:1Ø 100 mm

How to use this on a job

Follow one motor revolution through the mechanics. A 30:1 reducer needs thirty input turns for one output turn. The roller then moves one circumference of belt for each output turn. That chain is the calculation.

  1. 01

    Enter actual input shaft speed. A drive frequency alone does not determine actual induction-motor speed; slip and the motor design also matter.

  2. 02

    Enter the ratio as input revolutions per output revolution. A reducer uses a number greater than one. A speed-increasing stage can use a ratio below one.

  3. 03

    Enter the effective driving diameter, including any relevant covering. Read output RPM, metres per minute and metres per second. Compare predicted travel over a measured interval with the actual machine.

Work through one example

belt speed [m/min] = input rpm × π × diameter [mm] ÷ (ratio × 1000)

A 1,500 rpm input through a 30:1 reducer turns the roller at 50 rpm. A 100 mm roller has circumference about 314.159 mm, giving about 15.708 m/min. Doubling the diameter doubles belt speed at the same RPM; doubling the reduction ratio halves it.

Before you trust the answer

This is an ideal kinematic relationship with no belt slip. It does not size a motor, predict acceleration torque, or establish safe speed. Multiple stages multiply their input/output ratios. If an encoder is mounted elsewhere, calculate the travel at its own shaft rather than borrowing the motor’s ratio.

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