Basic Of Planetary Gear Boxes

Planetary gear boxes are high-precision, motion-control pieces of equipment that generate substantial torque for their size. Highly used among the industry planetary gear boxes feature high torsional stiffness and low backlash, which make them suitable for a wide range of tasks. From electric screwdrivers to bulldozer power trains, these devices are a great option when weight and space versus torque and reduction are important concerns.

To help you understand the planetary gear box operation, we will explain their construction and mechanic systems that reveal some of the less-obvious factors that come into play.

Planetary gear boxes are constructed of only three gears: a ring gear, a sun gear and planet gears.

• Ring Gear – the outermost gear that has inward-facing teeth to mesh with the inner planet gears.

• Sun Gear: the sun gear is positioned in the center of the box just like our Sun is located in the center of the solar system.

• Planet Gears: they orbit the sun gear and mesh with the ring bear just as all the planets.

In a basic planetary setup, input power causes the sun gear to turn at high speed. The planets (arranged around the central axis of rotation) mesh with the sun as well as the fixed ring gear, so they are strained to orbit as they roll. All the planets are assembled to a single rotating item, called an arm, cage, or carrier. As the planet cage turns, it generates low-speed, high-torque output.

In the industry planetary gear boxes are most commonly used in automatic transmission vehicles. But they are also widely used in applications that require transmission of high torque-to-weight ratios, such as lifting machines other machine tools for the construction, agriculture, and marine industry.

Simply said, planetary gear boxes can be installed in just any mounting position, as they can accommodate high radial and axial loads. Due to their minimal noise while operating, they are a popular choice for a variety of applications. The biggest benefits of these gearboxes are:

• Ease of use and ease of maintenance;
• Convenience;
• Compact arrangement;
• Highly efficient transmission of power.

When looking to buy a planetary gear box, you will across with a complete range of modular design planetary gearboxes for industrial applications that combine compact size, simple installation, excellent reliability and reduced maintenance with high performance and low cost. Keep in mind your application needs to find a size that will ensure optimum duration and silent running.