Transmission solutions for professional hospitality equipment: Success cases in demanding environments

We have been solving complex technical challenges in power transmission for over 40 years. And one of the sectors where our experience has made the most difference is in professional hospitality equipment, where we have helped manufacturers overcome challenges that seemed impossible to resolve.

The foodservice equipment industry is undergoing a complete transformation. Manufacturers need machines that are more efficient, quieter, and capable of withstanding extreme working conditions for years with minimal maintenance. And all of this in increasingly compact designs.

The challenge: working conditions that accelerate wear

Professional hospitality equipment operates under conditions that put any mechanical component to the test. It's not like industrial machinery operating in controlled environments. Here we're talking about:

Thermally variable environments: A machine can be at room temperature in the morning and reach 80-90°C during service. These repeated thermal variations day after day test materials, lubricants, and seals.

Presence of vapors, grease, and humidity: Professional kitchens, food preparation areas, service zones. Gearmotor units are exposed to environments where airborne grease, water vapor, and humidity changes are constant.

Intensive duty cycles: 10, 12, 14 hours of continuous or intermittent operation daily. During weekends and holiday periods, when everything needs to work the most, the demand multiplies.

Need for absolute reliability: A failure during service doesn't just mean product loss. It means dissatisfied customers, loss of reputation, and urgent technical intervention costs.

That's why professional equipment manufacturers need components that meet these demands.

Success case: CLR80 for high-temperature environments

The customer's problem:

A European manufacturer of professional cooking equipment contacted us with a recurring problem: their standard gearmotor units were failing prematurely in applications where heat was a constant factor. The rotary roasters and rotating ovens they manufactured worked continuously exposed to temperatures above 70°C, and standard components couldn't last without presenting lubricant degradation and efficiency loss.

Our solution:

We developed the CLR80, a variant of our MTS Series (Medium Torque Solutions) specifically optimized for high-temperature environments.

Technical features of the CLR80

Special heat-resistant coating: Exterior finish in high thermal resistance black paint that helps better dissipate accumulated heat and protects the mechanical assembly from sustained high temperatures.

High-temperature adapted lubrication: Specially formulated grease that maintains its properties between -20°C and +120°C, well above standard lubricants. When a gearmotor works near heat sources, internal temperature can easily exceed 70-80°C.

Reinforced seals: Improved protection against vapors, grease, and sudden thermal changes. Conventional seals degrade with heat, allowing contaminant ingress and lubricant loss.

Robust construction for continuous cycles: Mechanical design that absorbs thermal expansions without losing operational precision. Gears maintain their tolerances even after thousands of thermal cycles.

Results achieved:

• Significant improvement in equipment service life without maintenance
• Drastic reduction in field incidents
• Elimination of unscheduled stoppages due to transmission failure
• The customer has incorporated the CLR80 as standard across their entire range of cooking products

Current CLR80 applications in the sector

The CLR80 has proven its value in multiple HoReCa sector applications:

• Rotary cooking equipment: Roasters, rotating ovens, slow-cooking systems where the motor works continuously exposed to radiant heat
• Thermal preparation machinery: Equipment where the preparation process generates sustained high temperatures
• Hot holding systems: Motorized buffet displays, rotating hot display trays, thermal display equipment
• Bakery and pastry ovens: Rotary systems operating in 40-60°C environments throughout the workday

What we've learned is that many manufacturers don't identify the thermal problem until they have their first field failures. That's why we insist on analyzing real conditions before validating any solution.

Success case: Vending solutions for 24/7 machines

The customer's problem:

An international vending machine manufacturer faced two critical challenges: on one hand, high field failure rates (especially in machines installed in hospitals and stations with intensive use); on the other, recurring complaints about excessive noise in office and library installations.

Their machines performed between 200-400 transactions daily, operating 24/7 without continuous supervision. Each mechanical failure meant product loss, user dissatisfaction, and high technician dispatch costs.

Our solution:

We developed a specific configuration within our Vending Solutions line that addressed both problems:

Extreme reliability: Components sized for millions of cycles, with oversized bearings and long-life lubrication. Validated on test benches with exhaustive cycles before approval.

Ultra-quiet operation: Optimization of gear cutting and dynamic balancing that achieves very low acoustic emissions, imperceptible in office environments.

Compact design: Significant volume reduction compared to conventional solutions, allowing increased stored product capacity.

Configuration versatility: Adaptable to worm gear systems, tilting trays, and vertical lifts depending on each machine's design.

Results Achieved:

• Drastic reduction in field incidents
• Complete elimination of noise complaints in sensitive installations
• Significant improvement in operational reliability
• The customer has made us their exclusive supplier for all new product lines

MTS Series: the foundation of our hospitality solutions

Behind these success cases is our MTS Series (Medium Torque Solutions), which represents the optimal balance between load capacity, compact dimensions, and application versatility.

Optimized torque/size ratio: Provides medium-high torques in reduced dimensions, ideal for applications where integration space is limited but mechanical demands are considerable.

Robust construction for intensive use: Heat-treated steel gears, bearings sized for sustained loads, rigid housings that minimize vibrations.

Wide range of reduction ratios: From high-speed/low-torque configurations to low-speed/high-torque systems. This allows adapting the same mechanical concept to different end applications.

Multiple configuration options: Available in parallel shaft or 90º configurations depending on the spatial integration needs of each machine.

The MTS Series is our answer to manufacturers who need a proven, reliable, and adaptable product without having to develop a completely custom solution from scratch.

How we work with equipment manufacturers

After four decades designing gearmotor units for industrial applications, we've developed a proven methodology that guarantees results.

The process starts with understanding the real problem

When a machinery manufacturer contacts us, the first thing we do is ask questions. We don't start from the catalog, we start from the application:

How many hours per day will it run? How frequently does it start and stop? What is the ambient temperature? Is there presence of humidity, dust, vapors, or grease? What space restrictions do you have? Are there specific regulations you must comply with? What service life do you expect from the equipment?

Sometimes the customer comes with a clear idea of what they need. Other times they have a problem they don't know how to solve. In both cases, our job is to translate application requirements into realistic technical specifications.

Prototyping and validation under real conditions

Once specifications are defined, we manufacture functional prototypes. Here our internal machining and assembly capacity comes into play, allowing us to make rapid iterations without depending on third parties.

The prototype goes through bench tests where we measure efficiency, operating temperature, vibrations, and noise level. But what really matters is testing it in the final machine, under real-use conditions.

We've had cases where the prototype worked perfectly on the bench but in the real application unexpected behaviors appeared due to interaction with other machine components. You only discover that by testing in the field.

Scaling to production: from units to series

Once the solution is validated, series production begins. This is where our experience makes a difference:

Volume flexibility: We can produce short runs of 100-200 units/year for highly specialized products, or scale to tens of thousands for large manufacturers with multiple product lines.

Complete traceability: Each batch has records of materials, heat treatments, and dimensional controls. If any incident appears in the field, we know exactly which components that unit has and can act quickly.

Continuous technical support: We don't disappear after delivering the series. We maintain contact with our customers to understand how products perform in real use and detect opportunities for improvement or new needs.

Continuous innovation: what we're working on

We don't limit ourselves to manufacturing what already works. We have active R&D projects exploring new technical directions:

More sustainable materials: Research into biodegradable lubricants and manufacturing processes with lower carbon footprint, without sacrificing performance or durability. The sector is increasingly aware of environmental impact.

Optimized design through advanced simulation: Intensive use of FEM software to predict behavior under load, optimize geometries, and reduce weight without compromising structural strength.

We collaborate with technology centers because there are areas where we need specialized knowledge. Real innovation comes from combining diverse sources of experience.

Do you have a similar challenge?

If you manufacture professional hospitality equipment and face technical challenges in power transmission, we can help.

We have detailed technical documentation of our product series, more sector application cases, and capacity to organize technical meetings to analyze your specific project. If there's mutual interest, we prepare proposals adapted to your real needs.

What we do isn't magic. It's applied mechanical engineering with over 40 years of accumulated experience across multiple industrial sectors. But that experience makes the difference between a system that simply works and one that works well for years without problems.

About CLR

Over 40 years designing and manufacturing custom gearmotor units for demanding industrial applications. We work directly with our customers' engineering teams, from initial concept through series production and continuous support. The ability to adapt to the specific needs of each sector is what we do best.

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