- when one prime mover or motor is used for the number of machine tools on common shaft then the drive is called as group drive . it is also sometimes called as line shaft drive.
- Cost of group drive is less for given capacity of load. cost of one motors of given capacity is less than the cost of many motors of the same capacity.
- Total H.P of motor used in group drive may be less than the sum of the H.P of individual machines since all the machines may not be working at same time.
- Group drive has high overload capacity.
- Speed control of individual machine is very difficult.
- It does not give good appearances due to use of line shafting pulleys and belts.
- Group drives are less safe to operate.
- Flexibility of layout of the various machines is lost in group drive since machines have to be installed to suit the layout of the line shafting.
- Extension of the process by installing new machine is limited.
- The breakdown of main motor causes stoppage of all the operations. Considerable power loss takes place in the energy transmitting system.
- It is used in the process where stoppage of one operation requires the stoppage of sequence of operations as in case of textile mills.
Group Drive