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While both keyed and keyless connections serve the same purpose of transmitting torque, they operate in fundamentally different ways.  Understanding the distinctions between the two connection types can help you choose the best option for your systems.

Will Kelsch, Karlee Mellenkamp, and Cece Hiatt are honored at a scholarship reception on March 18. Not pictured: Grace Wooten. STOBER Drives, Inc. has named Cecilia “Cece” Hiatt, Will Kelsch, Karlee Mellenkamp, and Grace Wooten winners of the 2025 Ashley Hurst, Ray Williams, Mike Noel, & Logan Cooper Memorial Scholarship. Cecilia “Cece” Hiatt, daughter of…

Unplanned downtime can be the result of many different factors – equipment failures, supply chain issues, oil leaks, lack of maintenance, and more. Time is money, especially in food production–food processors can lose up to 20 percent of production capacity due to downtime. Don’t get caught with your plants down–rely on STOBER’s cLEAN System to…

STOBER’s food-duty products thrive in harsh washdown and severely wet applications thanks to their featured antimicrobial coating.  STOBER’s food-duty package includes stainless steel hardware and plastic covers, multilayered 316 stainless steel epoxy coating, antimicrobial clear top coat, and Exxon Mobil SHC CIBUS 220 food grade oil.  The Burke antimicrobial clear top coat featured on STOBER’s…

Floyd County, Kentucky, was severely impacted by a historic flood in February when the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River crested at 43.35 feet. The flooding, caused by excessive rainfall, prompted officials to declare a state of emergency as residents were trapped in vehicles and homes and more than 300 flood-related calls came into…

The Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork provides customers with an integrated team of engineering specialists and suppliers that are leaders in the automation and manufacturing industry. STOBER is a proud Technology Partner in the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork. PartnerNetwork is a global program that connects Rockwell Automation customers with an array of system integrators, distributors, technology companies, and…

The new STOBER cLEAN System is hygienically designed, making it the ultimate solution for food processing.

The 2024 STOBER Rep Awards have been announced.

Several STOBER Serves volunteers recently gathered at the Buffalo Trace Emergency Shelters to help remove debris and clean & paint the interior of the shelters.

Drumroll, please! We’ve added a mew comic to The Gerhardt Guide, a comic series about adventures in the life of Gerhardt Gearhead!

The STOBER cLEAN System was named “Best of the Best” recipient at the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).

Did you know that the world’s toughest gearbox doesn’t require oil changes?  STOBER’s KSS stainless steel, K, C, and F series reducers (in food-duty or corrosion-resistant options) require no maintenance due to efficient gearing, housing design, quality components, and expert assembly.

STOBER’s cLEAN Drive is designed for optimal control of the cLEAN Motor using a permanent magnet sensorless vector control.  Easy to install and program, the cLEAN Drive comes with basic motor parameters already written on the drive. 

Designed to provide the highest degree of resiliency and durability, STOBER’s NEMA gearboxes deliver superior performance that can revolutionize how well equipment functions across numerous processes and industries.

We hope our blog has been informative, useful, and inspiring this year. As a review of 2024, we look back at some of the year’s top blog posts and recap them here. Feel free to browse them again, or check them out if you missed them!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Let’s explore the different types of magnetic fields used in motors, the principles of induction motors, and the innovative permanent magnet technology featured in STOBER’s cLEAN motor.

While rack and pinion products are not new for STOBER, the new ZS Rack elevates STOBER’s rack and pinion offerings. 

STOBER Drives has recently adapted an Apprenticeship 2.0 program, an expansion of the company’s apprenticeship program that began in 2006.

Representatives from STOBER recently attended Women in Manufacturing events hosted by Maysville Community and Technical College.

Commissioning a STOBER geared motor with a Bosch drive is easier than you may think. Watch the video for step-by-step instructions.

STOBER has made it even easier for factories to maximize productivity and eliminate unplanned downtime with the cLEAN System.  STOBER’s cLEAN System eliminates premature failure due to water ingress, has IE5 energy efficiency, and is designed to EHEDG standards.

STOBER recently expanded outreach and student recruitment efforts is through partnership and support with the Mason County Career Magnet school.

Connect with the STOBER team at Automation Fair in Anaheim to “scratch” the surface of learning about STOBER’s solutions for your application!  Scratch a ticket to win a cool prize in booth 1221 during Automation Fair Nov. 18-21!

STOBER is the world’s leading expert in solutions for the food processing industry, so it’s no surprise that the cLEAN System is the ultimate solution for harsh washdown environments.

Commissioning a STOBER geared motor with a Siemens drive is easier than you may think. Watch the video for step-by-step instructions.

Through the STOBER Serves volunteer program, STOBER employees have recently contributed 100 hours to beautifying Cummins Nature Preserve. The company is seeking additional volunteer opportunities for its employees.

STOBER Drives has been named Large Business of the Year by the Maysville Area Chamber of Commerce.  

STOBER proudly employs many talented and creative individuals! We are excited to offer an opportunity to showcase their artistic and innovative crafts & businesses through a community-wide shopping event!

A recent project on a pepperoni slicer for an OEM customer proved successful and keeps pizza production as efficient as possible, speeding up the process while eliminating downtime.

STOBER’s commitment to clear and consistent communication provides peace of mind that comes with seamless collaboration and transparent updates, allowing OEMs to focus on core business objectives while STOBER handles the details.

STOBER’s cLEAN system was created to provide a long-lasting system that improves your plant’s reliability. Durable, efficient, and guaranteed to work in the harshest environments.

It’s well known that STOBER products last longer, require less maintenance, use less energy, and optimize the plant floor. But don’t just take our word for it–use our Documented Cost Savings tool to calculate just how much your company could save by using STOBER.

Join us at Maysville Oktoberfest on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the STOBER Stein Dash!

One of many tools and software options available from STOBER, the Product ID Tool is a central place for customers to look up installation, operation, and assembly instructions.

Commissioning a STOBER geared motor with a Kollmorgen drive is easier than you may think. Watch the video for step-by-step instructions.

Inline geared motors, right angle geared motors, geared motors with rack and pinion, geared motors with fans, geared motors with brakes – STOBER has the range you need for your application.

The STOBER KSS gearbox and cLEAN Motor recently received IP68 certification in addition to the already-existing IP69K certification, IE5 energy efficiency, and design to EHEDG standards.

STOBER will be closed on Thursday, July 4 in celebration of Independence Day, and on Friday, July 5 as a company-wide wellness day.

The ranked list of 2024 Best Places to Work in Kentucky has been released and STOBER Drives, Inc. is proud to have placed 21st in the category of medium companies comprised of 150-499 employees.  A group of STOBER employees accepted the award at a ceremony on June 13.

STOBER has a service mentality to make sure our customer application solutions run flawlessly. Learn more about a recent customer’s experience.

Poultry processing can be a messy business, but STOBER products are able to withstand the toughest cleaning regiments, including IP69K. Plus, our industry-leading warranty gives you the peace of mind that the next routine washdown won’t cause major downtime.

Commissioning a STOBER geared motor with a Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley drive is easier than you may realize. Watch the video for step-by-step instructions.

STOBER is proud to announce reduced backlash options are now assembled in Maysville, Ky., meaning they’ll be available in just days, not months!

On Saturday, May 18, STOBER hosted a memorial golf scramble at Kenton Station Golf Course.  Proceeds from the scramble established scholarship funds for relatives of two employees who recently passed away unexpectedly.

In 1997, a snack food manufacturer installed a STOBER K8 gearbox in their facility. The particular gearbox broke down recently, after 27 years of life.

Congratulations to STOBER Drives’ newest class of apprentices who recently signed to continue their employment and education.

Don’t get stuck in a solution—find the best fit!  STOBER’s inline planetary geared motor solution takes up less space in your machine footprint than a right-angle planetary solution. 

The STOBER team takes a hands-on approach to help maintenance crews learn to install STOBER equipment on their food production lines.

In memory of Mike Noel and Logan Cooper, STOBER is hosting a golf scramble at Kenton Station Golf Course on Saturday, May 18. All proceeds from the event go toward a scholarship fund for Mike’s grandson and Logan’s two sons.

Billie Wallingford, a machinist on our manufacturing team, has worked at STOBER for more than 10 years and will be retiring on April 26.

STOBER’s stainless steel & food-duty gearboxes can handle the harshest washdowns and withstand the acidic nature of cheese.

The most compact planetary geared motors on the market just got better.  Now with a space-saving design, STOBER’s PH9-12 Generation 4 products feature lower weight, lower mass inertia, higher rigidity, and up to 20 percent more torque.  Plus, the reducer interface is 100 percent compatible to the previous generation!   

STOBER Drives, Inc. is honored to be named to the 2024 list of Best Places to Work in Kentucky for medium-sized businesses.

STOBER Drives has named Rypli Donahue, Brenna Harris, and Taylor Watts winners of the 2024 Ashley Hurst, Ray Williams and Mike Noel Memorial Scholarship.

STOBER is proud to work with Millard for meat processing equipment that provides sanitary design, equipment reliability, food safety, and more.

STOBER is proud to be a member of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork as part of an integrated team of engineering specialists and suppliers.

IP69K rating has two elements of testing: level of protection against solid matter such as dust, and level of protection against water ingress. The passing criterion for each is no ingress of foreign particles or liquids inside the gearbox or motor.

Maysville Community & Technical College (MCTC) recently honored STOBER General Manager Peter Feil for his service to their Board of Directors.  Feil said he is very grateful for having had the opportunity to serve on the MCTC Board.

If you’re curious about STOBER’s ServoStop integrated safety brake for servo gearboxes, you’re in luck—3D models of the product are now available on the STOBER website!

STOBER motors and geared motors are flexible in design and compatibility with third-party drives.

STOBER’s wobble-free bushing is a patented double side bushing system that mounts onto standard cold finished, ground, or stainless shafts. 

STOBER’s cLEAN system was created to provide a long-lasting system that improves your plant’s reliability. Durable, efficient, and guaranteed to work in the harshest environments.

Are you frustrated with lead times for motors?  STOBER has several options readily available from Maysville, Ky.  Our Kentucky facility stocks the EZ3 (72mm frame size), EZ4 (98mm), EZ5 (115mm), and EZ7 (145mm) motors.*

Did you know STOBER’s synchronous servo geared motors are a packaged solution?  Yep, you can be back up and running faster than ever because with STOBER’s packaged solution, installation is easy.

We hope our blog has been informative, useful, and inspiring this year. As a review of 2023, we look back at some of the year’s top blog posts and recap them here. Feel free to browse them again, or check them out if you missed them!

You’ve probably noticed the new Christmas movie, “Candy Cane Lane” on Amazon Prime.  Did you know that it stars a STOBER gearbox!?

STOBER sales team recently volunteered to help sort donations, hang clothing, and serve lunch to shoppers who visited Maysville Hands of Hope.

Food production is a harsh environment. While many gearboxes aren’t able to handle rigid washdowns and continuous operation, STOBER’s solutions pass the test, preventing premature failure and saving thousands of dollars in downtime.

Food production is a harsh environment. While many gearboxes aren’t able to handle rigid washdowns and continuous operation, STOBER’s solutions pass the test, preventing premature failure and saving thousands of dollars in downtime.

STOBER solutions can reduce space requirements in the packaging industry and minimize components and maintenance—a win-win situation!  Innovative designs from STOBER can reduce equipment footprint by 20 percent. 

STOBER’s quality paint mixture and painting process eliminates any worry about paint flaking.  Every food duty unit is washed to remove any grease that could prevent paint from properly adhering to the surface.  Then, each unit is painted with four layers of paint, including an antimicrobial clear coat. 

STOBER geared motors feature options for your application’s right fit – right angle or inline, helical or planetary, encoder options, brakes, and fans.

STOBER is proud to help keep customers up and running by supplying exceptional customer service and the gold-standard in perfect motion.

STOBER Drives, Inc. is featured in the September 2023 issue of Business View Magazine. 

Most hydraulic motors have 2 or 4 bolt SAE flanges. We design
adapter plates and shaft hubs to mount the motors directly to our
gearboxes, making it as easy as possible for you.

Peter Feil, VP/General Manager, and Stephanie Gastauer, Talent Development Leader, recently presented information about the culture of STOBER Drives, Inc. to regional business leaders who gathered at Aileron in Tripp City, Ohio.

STOBER partners with Rockwell Automation to deliver mechatronics solutions that enable our mutual end-customers to optimize their machine’s efficiency, create reliable solutions, and save space while being backed by an industry-leading warranty. 

STOBER regional managers Brian Gerzsenyi, Nick Smith, and Mark Sticklen recently presented at the General Mills Maintenance & Reliability Leadership Conference.  Their presentation focused on how to eliminate downtime related to gearboxes.

If you’re unsure about how to install or perform maintenance on your STOBER gearbox and aren’t interested in reading a user’s manual to find what you need, look no further than a quick YouTube tutorial!

With a variety of gearboxes on the market that can fulfill diverse requirements, selecting the best power transmission gearbox can be a challenge.  Avoid making a wrong decision to avoid wasting money on a more expensive gearbox that isn’t necessary.

As a consumer, you use 3D modeling when you research items such as cars, clothing, shoes, and appliances online, so why shouldn’t you see 3D models of your gearboxes too?  Now you can with STOBER’s new 3D modeling tools.

If you have questions about our products you’d like answered, a tough application you need a solution for, or just want to touch base and put a name with a face, us our Meeting Request tool to schedule some one-on-one time with our team!

Learn how STOBER can help improve your machine reliability and combat other common struggles for the semiconductor industry.

Join us at Maysville Oktoberfest on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and find out at the STOBER Stein Dash!

At STOBER, we’re proud to build and ship in only one day from our facility in Maysville, Kentucky, so our customers don’t have to worry about lead times.

Doug Reeves, service team leader, has enjoyed working at STOBER for the past four years and is retiring July 21.

Our HR team prepared sack lunches last week and raised more than $800 to benefit Christy Wilson Kirk, daughter of Bill & Cheryl. Cheryl’s Cleaning Service takes care of our custodial needs.

STOBER’s synchronous Servo geared motors are available in food duty or corrosion resistant options to meet washdown requirements.

STOBER’s NEMA right-angle gearboxes are ideal to keeping downtime minimized in the beverage industry.

STOBER servo geared motors consist of a gearbox assembled onto the motor for a lighter, more compact solution with less maintenance.

STOBER Drives, Inc. was named eighth on the list of Best Places to Work in Kentucky for medium-sized businesses.

STOBER engineers recently completed training for motors and controls through hands-on learning experiences at the historic Cox Building in downtown Maysville.

When it comes to using a hydraulic motor adapter with a STOBER gearbox, it has never been easier!

Best practices when installing and connecting cables in a manufacturing environment ensures safety and extends equipment life.

Higher speeds and greater throughputs are features of new industrial ethernet communications protocols, which can be paired with STOBER motors and geared motors.

STOBER engineers recently completed training for motors and controls through hands-on learning experiences at the historic Cox Building in downtown Maysville.

STOBER engineers recently completed training for motors and controls through hands-on learning experiences at the historic Cox Building in downtown Maysville.

STOBER is proud to be the gold standard, with top-notch industry knowledge and industry-leading products to provide the ultimate solution in any environment.

STOBER eliminates gearing misalignment, preventing premature failure through free installation training and a variety of torque arm mounting options.