Professional
Greenhouse Gearbox
Manufacturer
Ever-power engineers and manufactures precision drive solutions for greenhouse ventilation, shading curtain, and rolling film systems — built to perform in high-humidity environments across every climate zone on earth.
Complete Greenhouse Drive Solutions
From ridge vent actuation to blackout curtain drives, Ever-power manufactures a full spectrum of greenhouse gearboxes and transmission components engineered for continuous outdoor duty, high-moisture environments, and 24/7 automated control systems.
Ventilation Gearbox
Precision worm and helical gear reducers designed for ridge vent and side-wall window opening systems. Handles continuous duty cycling under high-humidity conditions with sealed bearing housings and food-safe grease options.
Shading & Curtain Gearbox
Compact, low-noise gearbox units purpose-built for thermal screens, energy curtains, and blackout system drives. Delivers consistent torque output across the full travel range, with anti-back-drive locking mechanism to hold screen position without power consumption.
Rolling Film Gearbox
Heavy-duty rolling film gearboxes for polyethylene film side-wall and roof ventilation systems. Engineered to handle the high starting torque required to roll large film spans, with UV-stabilized external housing rated for constant solar exposure.
Rack & Pinion Drive System
Complete rack and pinion transmission sets for continuous roof vent opening systems on Venlo and multi-span greenhouses. Zinc-coated steel rack sections with precision-cut helical pinions for smooth, vibration-free vent travel over spans exceeding 100 m.
Spare & Replacement Parts
Direct-replacement components compatible with leading European brands including Ridder, Sercom, and Arion drive systems. Reduce maintenance downtime with our stocked inventory of drive shafts, couplings, end caps, and gearbox housing kits — shipped within 48 hours.
Custom & OEM Gearboxes
End-to-end custom engineering from concept to mass production. Submit your CAD drawings, torque curves, shaft layouts, and environmental requirements. Our mechanical engineering team delivers prototype review within 24 hours and first samples within 15 working days.
Engineering Precision.
Zero Compromise.
Greenhouse automation places severe demands on drive components — relentless duty cycles, corrosive humidity, temperature extremes, and near-zero maintenance windows. Every Ever-power greenhouse gearbox is engineered to those exact conditions.
All gearbox housings are powder-coated die-cast aluminium with full IP65 ingress protection — completely dust-tight and protected against water jets from any direction. Ideal for high-pressure cleaning environments in vegetable and flower production greenhouses.
IP65 / IP66 on request | Temp range: -20 to +70 CWe machine all worm shafts and helical gears on CNC gear-grinding centres to DIN 6 tolerance class, achieving positional accuracy of ±0.05 mm and backlash below 10 arcmin. This translates directly to repeatable vent positioning for climate-critical applications.
Backlash <10 arcmin | Efficiency up to 92%Sound-level testing at rated load measures below 55 dB(A) at 1 m — critical for plant-factory vertical farms and research greenhouse environments. Helical gear geometry and precision alignment eliminate the transmission whine common in lower-grade reducers.
Noise level: <55 dB(A) @ 1 m rated loadStandard stock models ship within 3–5 business days ex-works. Custom OEM gearboxes are prototyped within 15 working days from drawing approval. We maintain a safety stock of 2,000+ units to support emergency replacement orders for active greenhouse operators.
Stock items: 3–5 days | OEM sample: 15 daysFull Parameter Overview
Engineering teams require hard data, not marketing language. Below are the key technical parameters for our core greenhouse gearbox series. Full datasheets with dimensional drawings are available as PDF download upon inquiry.
Ventilation Gearbox Series
Ridge vent and side-wall window actuation
| Output Torque Range | 50 – 800 Nm |
| Gear Ratio Options | 1:10 / 1:20 / 1:40 / 1:80 / 1:100 |
| Input Speed (max) | 1,500 RPM |
| Output Speed | 0.5 – 150 RPM |
| Operating Voltage | 12V DC / 24V DC / 230V AC |
| Ingress Protection | IP65 (IP66 on request) |
| Operating Temperature | -20 to +70 C |
| Housing Material | Die-cast aluminium, powder coated |
| Gear Material | 20CrMnTi carburised steel |
| Lubrication | Synthetic grease, lifetime sealed |
| Noise Level (rated load) | <58 dB(A) @ 1 m |
| Shaft Diameter Options | 19 / 25 / 30 / 40 mm |
| Certifications | CE / ISO 9001 / RoHS |
Shading Curtain Drive Series
Energy screen, thermal curtain and blackout system
| Output Torque Range | 120 – 600 Nm |
| Gear Ratio Options | 1:40 / 1:60 / 1:80 / 1:120 / 1:160 |
| Input Speed (max) | 1,450 RPM |
| Output Speed | 0.3 – 36 RPM |
| Operating Voltage | 24V DC / 230V AC / 400V AC |
| Ingress Protection | IP65 |
| Operating Temperature | -15 to +65 C |
| Locking Function | Self-locking (no power to hold) |
| Noise Level | <55 dB(A) @ 1 m |
| Drive Shaft Diameter | 35 / 40 / 50 mm square or round |
| Position Feedback | Optional: potentiometer / encoder |
| Duty Cycle | S3 40% / S1 (continuous) available |
| Certifications | CE / ISO 9001 / RoHS |
Drive Systems for Every Greenhouse Type
Greenhouse automation requirements vary significantly by structure type, crop, and climate. Ever-power application engineers specify the right greenhouse gearbox combination for your exact operating parameters — not a generic catalogue selection.
Venlo & Multi-span Glasshouse Automation
High-density ventilation drive systems for glass and polycarbonate commercial greenhouse complexes from 1 ha to 50 ha+. Includes rack-and-pinion ridge vents plus energy screen drives on a single control bus.
Indoor & Vertical Farming Climate Control
Ultra-quiet gearbox units for light-deprivation and climate zone separation in indoor vertical farms and plant factories. Sub-55 dB operation protects sensitive plant-growth environments from mechanical vibration stress.
Fish & Shrimp Farm Greenhouse Ventilation
Corrosion-resistant gearbox solutions for saline and ammonia-rich aquaculture greenhouse environments. Stainless steel shaft options and marine-grade bearing seals ensure 5-year service intervals even in aggressive salt-air conditions.
How to Select the Right Greenhouse Gearbox
Greenhouse buyers — from project engineers to maintenance managers — consistently ask the same critical selection questions. We've compiled the most important technical decision points below. Expand each topic for engineering detail.
Not sure which gearbox model fits your installation? Our engineers respond within 24 hours.
Ask an Engineer →How to Calculate the Required Output Torque for a Greenhouse Vent Drive
Undersized torque is the single most common cause of premature greenhouse gearbox failure. Before requesting a quotation, you need three values: the total vent panel weight, the maximum friction coefficient of your guide rails, and the operational wind load your structure is designed for.
IP65 vs IP66 vs IP67: Which Ingress Protection Rating Do You Actually Need?
The IEC 60529 IP rating system governs how well a gearbox housing resists moisture and particle ingress. For greenhouse applications, the choice between IP65 and IP67 has direct maintenance and cost implications that most buyers overlook.
Worm Gearbox vs Helical Bevel Gearbox for Greenhouse Applications: A Direct Comparison
The choice of gear geometry fundamentally affects efficiency, noise level, self-locking behaviour, and service life. Here is a straightforward engineering comparison of the two types most commonly used in greenhouse drive systems.
Greenhouse Gearbox Preventive Maintenance: A 12-Month Inspection Schedule
Greenhouse drive gearboxes typically operate 2,000–8,000 actuation cycles per year in automated climate systems. Neglecting basic preventive maintenance shortens service life from a typical 10+ years to under 4 years — and replacement during peak production season carries significant crop-loss risk.
Real Projects, Verified Results
From Almeria rose farms to Norwegian salmon greenhouses, Ever-power greenhouse gearboxes operate in some of the world's most demanding agricultural environments. These are the projects our customers have authorised us to share.
14-hectare Venlo glasshouse required replacement of 620 ridge vent gearboxes after European brand lead-times of 18+ weeks threatened the spring planting season.
Ever-power supplied 640 units of heavy-duty ventilation gearboxes with identical shaft dimensions and mounting patterns for direct drop-in replacement, delivered in two shipments over 3 weeks.
Newly constructed 6.5-hectare Spanish tunnel greenhouse complex needed a blackout curtain drive system capable of operating at ambient temperatures up to 52 C during summer.
Ever-power specified high-temperature shading curtain gearboxes with high-temperature grease fill and extended thermal derating to S3-25% duty cycle, maintaining full torque output up to 65 C housing temperature.
Needed a private-label OEM rolling film gearbox range to complete their proprietary low-cost polytunnel automation kit, targeting small-to-medium UK commercial growers entering automation for the first time.
Ever-power developed a custom OEM rolling film gearbox variant with HorizonFarm's logo and colour scheme, modified shaft geometry, and CE documentation under their brand name. Prototype delivery in 12 working days.
Our greenhouse gearbox range covers output torques from 50 Nm to 2,000 Nm, with gear ratios from 1:10 to 1:200. This spans everything from lightweight PE film roller drives on hobby tunnels up to heavy-duty rack-and-pinion drive systems for multi-hectare commercial glasshouses. For output torques above 2,000 Nm, we offer custom-engineered solutions through our OEM programme — please contact our engineering department with your load specification.
Yes. Our ventilation and shading curtain replacement series are dimensionally compatible with Ridder RW and RS series gearboxes, including matching shaft diameters, keyway dimensions, and flange mounting patterns. We also supply compatible units for Sercom and Arion curtain drive systems. Before ordering replacement gearboxes for an existing installation, please send us the model number or a photograph of the existing unit's nameplate so we can confirm the dimensional compatibility and supply the exact matching specification.
Standard catalogue gearboxes from our stock inventory ship within 3–5 business days ex-works. For larger orders exceeding our standard stock levels (typically above 200 units of a single model), production lead time is 15–20 working days. Custom OEM gearboxes with modified dimensions or special features have a first-article sample lead time of 15 working days from drawing approval. Full OEM production runs of 50–500 units are typically completed within 25–35 working days. We maintain a safety stock buffer specifically for emergency replacement orders from greenhouse operators facing production downtime.
Yes. All of our ventilation and shading curtain gearboxes are optionally available with:
- Integrated potentiometer for analogue position feedback (0–10V or 4–20 mA output)
- Optical or magnetic incremental encoder (standard resolutions: 100, 360, or 1000 PPR)
- Mechanical limit switches (SPDT, pre-set at factory or field-adjustable)
- Hall-effect absolute position sensor for direct integration with common greenhouse climate computers (Priva, Ridder Drive, and Hortimax protocols available on request)
Specify your required feedback type and output signal level at quotation stage.
Yes. Every shipment from Ever-power is accompanied by a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for CE marking under applicable EU directives, an ISO 9001:2015 certificate of conformity, and a product test certificate referencing the specific batch tested. RoHS material compliance declarations are available in standard IPC-1752A format upon request. For OEM customers requiring their own branded CE technical file, we provide full technical documentation support as part of the OEM service agreement.
Ever-power greenhouse gearboxes carry a standard 24-month warranty from date of delivery against defects in materials and workmanship under normal operating conditions. The warranty covers full replacement of defective units. Extended warranty programmes of 36 and 60 months are available for OEM partners and large project purchases. Warranty claims require a brief failure report and photographs; we aim to dispatch replacement units within 5 business days of claim approval.
Serving Greenhouse Operators in 50+ Countries
Ever-power greenhouse gearboxes are exported to every major agricultural region on earth. We ship ex-works with full export documentation, CE declarations, and optional third-party pre-shipment inspection.
What Is a Greenhouse Gearbox?
A greenhouse gearbox — also referred to as a greenhouse gear reducer, greenhouse drive unit, or agricultural reduction gearbox — is a sealed mechanical power transmission device that converts high-speed, low-torque motor output into the slow-speed, high-torque rotation required to open and close ventilation windows, deploy shading curtains, and actuate rolling film systems in controlled-environment agriculture structures.
Unlike industrial gearboxes designed for factory environments, greenhouse gearboxes must function reliably under conditions that simultaneously combine high relative humidity (commonly 80–99% RH), temperature cycling from sub-zero to over 50 C, continuous UV radiation exposure, chemical contamination from fertilisers and pesticides, and intermittent high-pressure water wash-down. These constraints demand specific design choices in housing material, bearing type, seal geometry, and lubricant selection that standard industrial reducers simply do not address.
Key insight: The most common cause of premature greenhouse gearbox failure is not mechanical overloading — it is moisture ingress through inadequate shaft seals. Specifying a minimum IP65 rating with labyrinth shaft seals is the single most impactful quality decision a greenhouse operator or systems integrator can make.
Types of Greenhouse Drive Gearboxes
Worm Reduction Gearboxes
The worm gearbox remains the dominant greenhouse drive gearbox type globally, primarily because its geometry produces an inherently self-locking output shaft. When the motor is de-energised, the worm and wheel geometry prevents back-driving — meaning the vent or curtain stays exactly where it was positioned without any external braking device. This characteristic is particularly valuable for shading curtain and energy screen drives, where the screen must hold its position reliably across a full 8–12 hour night period without continuous motor excitation.
Worm greenhouse gearboxes are typically available in gear ratios from 1:10 through to 1:80, with output torques covering 50 Nm for lightweight film covers up to 800 Nm for heavy glass vent panels. Efficiency at these ratios is typically 55–80%, depending on lead angle and material pairing. The industry standard for worm wheel material in agricultural applications is phosphor bronze, which provides an excellent hardness differential against a case-hardened steel worm shaft, resulting in a forgiving wear pattern that tolerates the occasional overload from wind gusting or ice loading without catastrophic failure.
Helical Inline and Helical Bevel Gearboxes
Helical gearboxes are increasingly specified for commercial ventilation window drives — particularly on large multi-span greenhouses with continuous roof vents exceeding 80 metres in length — because their higher transmission efficiency (typically 88–95%) generates significantly less heat during the extended continuous-duty operating cycles that large ventilation systems demand. At 1,450 RPM input, a worm reducer running a 100-metre vent drive for 20 minutes per hour can reach housing temperatures of 70–80 C if not correctly sized, whereas an equivalent helical unit typically stabilises below 45 C.
Rack and Pinion Greenhouse Drive Systems
For continuous ridge-vent systems on Venlo-type glasshouses — where a single long vent section requires multiple drive points along its length — rack and pinion greenhouse drive systems provide a mechanically synchronised solution. A common shaft carries multiple pinions spaced at 2–3 metre intervals, each engaging a zinc-coated steel rack fixed to the vent structure. This configuration provides perfectly synchronised vent movement without the need for electronic position feedback, and delivers the distributed drive force needed to overcome the friction and deadweight of very long vent sections.
Core Application Areas for Greenhouse Gearboxes
Ridge Vent and Side Wall Ventilation
Greenhouse ventilation gearboxes for ridge vent and side wall window applications represent the largest single product category in the greenhouse drive component market. Natural ventilation through the roof ridge is the primary mechanism for temperature and humidity management in commercial glass and polycarbonate greenhouses throughout Europe, North America, and East Asia. Each vent opening cycle must deliver consistent, repeatable positioning — typically to within ±5 mm of set-point — to allow climate computer control systems to maintain the precise ventilation rates their crop models specify.
Shading Curtain and Energy Screen Drives
Modern commercial greenhouse energy management relies heavily on motorised thermal screens and energy curtains that deploy at sunset to reduce heat loss, and retract at sunrise to maximise light transmission. The greenhouse gearbox units driving these curtain systems must deliver smooth, jerk-free motion across the full span to avoid tearing the screen fabric — particularly important for expensive aluminium-knitted energy screen materials. Load cells or torque sensors are increasingly integrated with the gearbox output shaft to detect screen tears or blocked drives before the full motor stall current is reached.
Rolling Film Ventilation Systems
Plastic tunnel and polytunnel greenhouse structures across Southern Europe, North Africa, Mexico, and East Africa rely predominantly on rolling film side-wall ventilation — a system in which a tubular motor and gearbox assembly rolls the polyethylene film upward to open the side wall to natural airflow. These applications require gearboxes with high starting torque capability (typically 1.5–2x running torque) to break the static friction of the film against the guide tubes after overnight condensation has settled on the structure.
How to Select the Right Greenhouse Gearbox: A Systematic Approach
Step 1: Define the load profile
Document the total vent or curtain weight, the friction characteristics of the guide system, the maximum operational wind load (per EN 13031-1 or local equivalent), and the maximum duty cycle (actuations per day, run time per actuation). This data directly determines the required output torque, duty class, and thermal rating of the gearbox.
Step 2: Select the appropriate gear type
Use worm gearboxes for applications requiring self-locking (curtain and screen drives). Specify helical or helical bevel gearboxes for applications requiring higher efficiency or continuous-duty thermal management (large commercial vent drives). Use rack and pinion systems for long continuous vent runs requiring mechanically synchronised multi-point drive.
Step 3: Specify the environmental protection class
IP65 is the minimum acceptable standard for any greenhouse application. Upgrade to IP66 for installations below 600 mm height or in aggressive chemical environments. Verify that the shaft seal design uses a triple-lip rotary seal with a labyrinth outer shield rather than a single-lip seal.
Common purchasing error: Selecting a greenhouse gearbox solely on price without verifying the seal design. A gearbox with a single-lip shaft seal may pass IP65 testing when new, but will fail within 12–18 months in a real greenhouse environment due to seal wear and eccentricity. Insist on a labyrinth-plus-lip-seal combination for any long-life application.
Step 4: Confirm the shaft interface and mounting dimensions
For replacement applications, document the existing shaft diameter, keyway dimensions, and flange or foot mounting hole pattern precisely before ordering. A gearbox that is otherwise technically correct but has the wrong shaft bore will require costly adaptor fabrication on-site. Most Ever-power gearbox series are available with multiple output shaft diameter options as standard — specify the required bore and key dimensions at quotation stage to avoid delays.
| Criteria | Worm Gearbox | Helical Bevel | Rack & Pinion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-locking | Yes (inherent) | No (brake needed) | No (brake needed) |
| Efficiency | 55–80% | 88–95% | 85–92% |
| Best for long vents | No | Partial | Yes |
| Curtain/screen drive | Ideal | Possible | Not applicable |
| Noise level | <58 dB | <52 dB | 55–62 dB |
| Cost | Low–Medium | Medium–High | Medium |
OEM and Custom Greenhouse Gearbox Manufacturing
The greenhouse equipment industry is highly fragmented, with hundreds of regional greenhouse builders, system integrators, and agricultural equipment dealers who require custom-branded or dimensionally unique gearbox solutions that standard catalogue products cannot satisfy. Ever-power's OEM and ODM service has been designed specifically to serve this segment of the market — companies who need the engineering depth and manufacturing infrastructure of a specialist gearbox manufacturer, but with the flexibility and speed of a custom fabricator.
Our OEM process begins with a technical brief review by our engineering department within 24 hours of receipt. We model your mounting interface and load requirements in 3D CAD, propose modifications to our nearest standard platform, and deliver a dimensioned drawing for your approval before any metal is cut. First article samples are completed within 15 working days of drawing approval. Full production runs begin with a minimum order quantity of 50 units. Private-label branding — including custom colour, engraving, and documentation — is included as standard in all OEM agreements, and all projects are covered by NDA.
Learn more about our capabilities and engineering background on our company profile page.
Certifications and Regulatory Standards
Greenhouse gearboxes sold into the European market must carry CE marking under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC when supplied as part of a driven machine assembly, or under the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU when the gearbox is motor-integrated. Ever-power maintains CE technical files for all standard product series and provides Declaration of Conformity documents with each shipment.
Our manufacturing facility operates under ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification, covering design, manufacturing, inspection, and after-sales processes. All materials used in gearbox construction comply with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive 2011/65/EU, and full material declarations are available for use in customer product compliance documentation.
Global Greenhouse Gearbox Market Overview
The global greenhouse technology market has expanded significantly over the past decade, driven by population growth, food security investment, and the increasing economics of year-round controlled-environment crop production. The Netherlands alone operates approximately 9,000 hectares of glass greenhouse, each requiring ongoing maintenance and periodic drive component replacement. Spain's Almeria province — home to the largest concentration of plastic tunnel greenhouses in the world at over 30,000 hectares — represents a vast and continuously growing market for rolling film and ventilation drive systems.
Emerging markets present the most rapid growth opportunity. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program targets a 12-fold increase in protected agriculture area by 2030. Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are experiencing compound annual growth rates in commercial greenhouse construction exceeding 15%. Morocco has become a major flower and vegetable exporter with an estimated 10,000 new greenhouse hectares under construction or planned through 2026.
Against this backdrop, Chinese-manufactured greenhouse gearboxes have achieved significant market share globally, driven by competitive pricing, improving quality standards, and dramatically shorter lead times than European incumbents. Ever-power's positioning — CE-certified, ISO-manufactured, with engineering support, OEM capability, and regional distribution — addresses the quality and technical service expectations of buyers in both developed and emerging markets simultaneously.
For a full technical consultation and to discuss your specific greenhouse gearbox requirements, contact our sales and engineering team directly — we respond to all technical inquiries within one business day.