- 2072 Chaitra · 4 marks
Group drive vs individual drive
Short answer
Group drive uses one motor for many machines through a line shaft; individual drive gives each machine its own motor. Individual drive offers better efficiency, independent speed control, flexible layout, and less downtime; group drive has lower initial cost but poor efficiency and all machines stop on motor fault.
Write the difference between group drive and individual drive.
In a group drive a single motor drives several machines through a line shaft, belts and pulleys. In an individual drive each machine has its own separate motor.
Group: M ==== line shaft ====
| | |
[m/c1] [m/c2] [m/c3]
Individual: M1-[m/c1] M2-[m/c2] M3-[m/c3]
| Point | Group drive | Individual drive |
|---|---|---|
| Number of motors | One for many machines | One per machine |
| Initial cost | Less | More |
| Efficiency | Low (shaft, belt losses, motor underloaded) | High |
| Power factor | Poor at light load | Good |
| Speed control | Not possible individually | Easy for each machine |
| Effect of motor fault | All machines stop | Only one machine stops |
| Layout | Machines must be along the line shaft | Flexible, anywhere |
| Safety and cleanliness | Belts and pulleys unsafe, noisy | Safe, clean, quiet |
| Expansion | Difficult | Easy |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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