1. What is Planetary Gear Reduction?

A planetary gear system consists of a central sun gear, planet gears, and an outer ring gear. The reduction ratio determines how much the input speed is reduced at the output.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the planetary gear ratio formula:

Where:

• Ring Teeth — Number of teeth on the ring gear
• Sun Teeth — Number of teeth on the sun gear

Explanation: The formula calculates the reduction ratio based solely on the tooth count of the ring and sun gears.

3. Importance of Gear Ratio Calculation

Details: Accurate gear ratio calculation is crucial for designing mechanical systems, determining torque multiplication, and predicting output speed.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of teeth for both the ring gear and sun gear. Both values must be positive integers (1 or greater).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Does this calculator work for compound planetary systems?
A: No, this calculates only the basic single-stage planetary gear ratio.

Q2: How do planet gears affect the ratio?
A: The number of planet gears doesn't affect the ratio, only their size (which matches the ring and sun gears).

Q3: What's a typical range for planetary gear ratios?
A: Single-stage ratios typically range from 3:1 to 12:1, with multi-stage systems achieving higher reductions.

Q4: Can I use this for gearboxes with fixed ring gears?
A: Yes, this formula applies when the ring gear is fixed and the planet carrier is the output.

Q5: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The calculation is mathematically precise based on tooth counts, but actual performance may vary slightly due to manufacturing tolerances.