“Isn’t that the drive with temperature problems?” That is a common comment that I hear from my clients in the first conversation. To clarify the (im)possibilities of a planetary drive, let’s go back to basics.
The planetary reducer
Unlike a conventional gear unit, a planetary gear unit offers the possibility of transmitting enormous torque in a very compact space.
A planetary reducer is made up of stages; Per stage you have a sun gear, a planet gear and a satellite gear that together form a certain ratio / transmission ratio.
The thermal power
Also in a planetary reducer there is friction and heat development inside the housing. As with a “normal” gear unit, the planetary variant is cooled by means of an oil bath.
Due to the compact construction of a planetary gear and the lack of space for cooling, both internally and externally, a planetary gear basically gets a lot warmer than a comparable bevel gear reducer.
Is this a pity? Yes, of course it would have been nice if the thermal power had been equal to the maximum power that a gear unit could handle mechanically. Will this really be a problem for the application? The answer to this in most cases is a big no.
Improving thermal power
There are several possibilities with which you can increase the thermal capacity of a planetary gearbox. In addition, we can calculate with the various variables in, for example, the business environment, business types and safety factors to arrive at the perfect solution.
A planetary reducer is the solution to transmit a very high torque or to achieve a very low output speed.
Curious about the (im)possibilities for your application? We are happy to help you.
