Catalog worm-gear reducers currently sit between roughly €43 for a 60 mm WPDS cast-iron unit at 1-piece MOQ [S7] and several thousand euros for a modular 1-2 kNm right-angle drive with face-mounted motor adaptors [S1], and the spread is driven by torque rating, ratio range, housing material and whether the gearbox is a manual quarter-turn operator or a continuous-duty transmission unit.
For buyers comparing like-for-like, the three most useful cost anchors are: torque class (Nm to kNm), ratio range (single-stage 2.5-100 [S2] versus higher-ratio two-stage builds), and configurator architecture (solid-shaft vs hollow-shaft [S5], flange-mounted vs foot-mounted). A reference for the worm reducer family and how it compares with a helical gear reducer is in our encyclopedia.
Price Bands by Torque and Configuration
Entry-level aluminium or cast-iron worm units, sized roughly 30-90 mm centre-distance and rated in the 5-50 Nm range, list at €25-€69 FOB China on audited platforms with 1-piece MOQ [S9]; a 60 mm WPDS unit is quoted at €43/pc with face-gear quenching and precision cast-iron housing [S7]. Mid-band S-series worm-helical units rated 200-500 Nm (up to 1000 Nm) and 0.12-37 kW (0.16-50.31 hp) typically price in the €50-€500 window for 1-piece MOQ and €69-€2,649 for related gear-motor SKUs on the same trade portal [S3][S9]. The 200-500 Nm class also overlaps with the torque envelope of a gear coupling drive train on the output side. Modular right-angle units in the 1-2 kNm band, with shaft orientation right-angle and rotational speed up to 1,400 rpm, sit in the upper tier of the catalog market and are typically quoted project-by-project [S1].
Spec Levers That Move the Number
The four spec levers that consistently change price most: (1) output torque class, where moving from <100 Nm to 1-2 kNm steps price up by an order of magnitude [S1][S2][S3]; (2) ratio range, with single-stage ratios of 2.5-100 achievable in one mesh [S2] and higher ratios requiring a second worm-helical stage that adds both parts and length [S3]; (3) shaft configuration, where hollow-shaft and solid-shaft options on the same housing (e.g. GFC escalator / elevator gear units) [S5] add a modest premium for the hollow-bore machining; (4) housing material, where precision cast iron with face-gear quenching [S7] and ISO 1328-1 grade 5 gear accuracy on the planetary co-axial line (Fenghua Transmission, US$25-36 range) [S9] define the upper accuracy tier.
Options Compared on Cost Drivers
Three practical options to line up against decision criteria: (a) WPDS single-stage cast-iron unit, €43/pc at 1 MOQ, ratio range limited to single worm mesh, best fit for low-duty conveyors and small mixers [S7]; (b) S-series worm-helical combined unit, 200-500 Nm, 0.12-37 kW, modular, priced €50-€500 at 1 MOQ, fits general industrial transmission and integrated gear-motor builds [S3]; (c) modular right-angle worm unit, 1-2 kNm with face-mount motor adaptor, up to 1,400 rpm input, typically project-quoted and used where high radial load and right-angle layout dominate [S1]. A side note for spec engineers pairing output members: hollow-shaft worm-helical units (GFC, AUMA group) overlap with the linear guide world on the same escalator/elevator bill of materials [S5].
Standards, Materials and Acceptance Criteria
Worm-gear accuracy is generally referenced to ISO 1328-1 grade 5 for high-precision planetary co-axial lines (1-stage 3 arc-min, 2-stage 8 arc-min) [S10]; a verified supplier bulletin states the housing is high-rigidity cast iron and the gears are high-tensile alloy steel with carburising and quenching, with per-mesh efficiency up to 96% on the helical-bevel modular line [S10]. Face-gear quenching and profile accuracy are stated as standard on the WPDS line [S7], and ATEX/IECEx conformity is not a universal feature — only specify explosion-protected enclosures where the duty and zone demand it. For matched drive chains, a crossed-roller guide or gear pump on the same machine train should be specced to the same duty cycle as the worm reducer input, not independently.
Use Cases and Limits
Single-stage worm units (GS 3 family, ratios 2.5-100, up to 4,500 rpm input, 1-5 / 5-10 / 10-20 Nm torque classes) [S2] are common in low-speed, high-ratio, self-locking applications such as valve actuators, small conveyor drives, and stage lifts; manual quarter-turn worm operators (Rotork FB series, cast-iron housing, limit-switch-ready, designed and tested for fire-protection butterfly valves and sprinkler systems) [S4] are a different category, optimised for infrequent duty and certified for life-safety rather than continuous power transmission. Worm-helical modular units in the 2-5 kNm torque class with flange mounting [S5] target escalator and elevator duty cycles where high radial load and right-angle layout are non-negotiable.
Sourcing Tiers and Lead-Time Signals
Tier 1 (catalog/spot): audited diamond-member Chinese platforms listing €25-€69 for sub-50 Nm units, €69-€2,649 for 200-1000 Nm gear-motor SKUs, 1-piece MOQ, machine-translated datasheets, suitable for prototype and OEM pilot runs [S9]. Tier 2 (configured): domestic Chinese customisers (e.g. 沃瑞迈 worm-gearbox / W-GEAR / WR lines) offering selection guides, customisation, 7x24 after-sales, ISO 5 grade precision on planetary lines, and a stated 96% per-mesh efficiency on the helical-bevel modular line [S8][S10]. Tier 3 (project): European right-angle modular worm units at 1-2 kNm with up to 1,400 rpm input, sold against RFQ with motor-adaptor selection [S1]. A 2026 sourcing lens for adjacent factory-gate decisions, like the architectural hardware 2026 price bands or fire-rated door cost guide, follows the same torque/spec-lever discipline.
Failure Modes and Spec Traps
Worm gearing generates high sliding contact, so the dominant failure modes are worm-wheel wear, pitting, and thermal limit at sustained input power; ratios above ~60:1 in a single stage also carry an efficiency penalty that may force a second stage [S2]. Two spec traps to avoid: quoting only peak torque without stating duty cycle and starts/hour (a 1-2 kNm unit on a 24/7 conveyor is a different thermal load than the same unit on a 10 cycle/hour actuator) [S1]; and specifying a manual quarter-turn operator for continuous-duty modulation (the FB family is designed and tested for fire-protection butterfly valves with limit switches, not for throttling service) [S4].
Trackable signals to watch over the next sourcing window: (i) any update to the WPDS / W-GEAR catalogue pushing 60 mm centre-distance cast-iron units below the €43 line [S7]; (ii) tightening of ISO 1328-1 grade-5 acceptance documentation from Chinese customisers (currently self-declared on the WR/W-GEAR site) [S10]; (iii) European OEM price-list refreshes on the 1-2 kNm modular right-angle line, which historically reset in Q3 [S1].