Planetary Gearbox
Planetary Gearbox Repairs
Named because of its similarity to the movement of the planets in the solar system, Planetary Gearboxes, or as they are sometimes called, Epicyclic Gearboxes provide a wide range of businesses and organisations with the most effective methods to help power their industrial machinery.
What Is A Planetary Gearbox and How Does It Work?
This type of gearbox is one where the input shafts and the output shafts are aligned and are often used to produce the largest torque in the most compact, convenient form, this is known as torque density. While the actual inventor of the gearbox is not known, noted Italian polymath Leonardo Da Vinci described it in his work during the 1490s.
Planetary gearboxes are favoured by businesses who use high torque and low-speed applications, where a shock load capacity is anticipated. The design of the gearbox centres around one small gear called the sun gear. This central gear is surrounded by three planetary gears which are themselves encased in an internal gear. These three orbiting components form, on their face, quite a complicated and difficult system; however, for a lot of businesses, this compact structure is the optimum solution.
Details, Benefits, And Industrial Applications
Thanks to their ability to provide rapid, reliable gearbox speed for a wide range of applications that require continuous operation, planetary gears and gearboxes are widely used.
Based on modular design principles, they can be configured in several ways to suit different needs. Configurations such as right-angle triple reduction, right angle double reduction, and parallel shaft double reduction gearing are all options that a user can benefit from.
At Highfield Gears, we’re able to deal with all versions of these units – be it to repair, recondition, or upgrade them.
Other details include the 2 to 5 gearing options, providing yet more range. There are also flange and foot mounting options, as well as solid and hollow output shaft variations. All of which provide different output torque, gear transmission ratios, and speed ratios.
In terms of applications, a broad range of sizes is used in multiple applications for cyclic operation. The conveyor belt sector frequently uses these gearboxes because of their ability to handle axial loads and power electric motors which drive belts, be they production line belts, or those found in supermarkets.
In the water sector, these gearbox types are used to power water turbines. The epicyclic gearing systems are perfect for powering these giant turbines which are used to convert the energy contained in water, into electricity.
As well as these two prominent examples, planetary gearing is used in:
- Agitators.
- Auxiliary drive.
- Chipboard press.
- Pumps.
- Paper machinery.
