What's a Planetary Gear, and How Does It Work? | What The Tech?!

Learn about the working principle of a Planetary Gear.
A gearbox, or ‘transmission’, is the link between the motor and the application. Its task is to generate a higher torque on the applications, reduce the speed of the motor, increase positioning accuracy, and compensate for mass inertia. A planetary gear has a particularly high power density for this purpose. Of course, it doesn't drive planets. It's called that because, like in our solar system, everything revolves around the sun gear, in other words, the drive at the center.
The planetary wheels are used to transmit power, and the internally toothed ring gear limits their orbit. A planet carrier, which is connected to all planets, conveys the power as a downforce.
The decisive factor here is the gear reduction ratio “i” - in other words, the translation into the slow speed. It represents the ratio of the speed at the input to the speed at the output and is determined by the ratio of the ring gear to the sun gear. In single-stage transmissions, a gear reduction ratio of three to ten is common. Higher gear reduction ratios are also possible depending on the transmission. If the right transmission is selected for an application, the motor can even be smaller - saving costs in terms of procurement and operation.
Planetary gears also enable very precise positioning, which is why they are used in barriers and access control systems in subways and airports, for example. In contrast to simpler solutions, low-backlash planetary gears have lower forces acting on the gear wheels, since the torque is distributed along the gear wheels over a large contact area. This means that the design can be more compact, makes the planetary gear more durable, and enables low-noise operation with no break in the frictional connection. Thanks to its seamless design, the transmission can be used in the hygienic design zone in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Or in other areas of industrial drive technology - such as intralogistics and shuttle drives. There are different types depending on the requirements - whether performance, robustness and durability, or smooth operation is needed.
Have you ever had to deal with planetary gears?
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