Proper Housing for Your Planetary Gear System

There are few things that you need to do in order to maintain your planetary gear systems, but they are crucial to keeping your gears working as well as they should for as long as they should. In our last blog, we told you about the importance of lubricating your planetary gears. Today, we want to inform you on how to properly house your planetary gear systems and why it is necessary to do so. 

We do not sell housed units as we sell our gears a la carte if you will. Our gears do not come pre-assembled because more often than not our customers need their planetary gears for a specific function. This allows you to build to suit your needs.

The Importance of Bearings in Housing Your Planetary Gear System

Example of a Two-Stage Gear Reduction Unit

As you can see in the diagram above, there is a set of holes that go around the outside ring. That is where you secure the planetary gear inside the housing. It's imperative that the shafts are inserted with bearings for support. You may need a double bearing depending on how you are using your planetary gear system. Then you'll have a returning ring and ball bearings so forth. 

This is just one example of the many ways you can house your gears. This same housing could be done with a single stage reduction unit as well; again it just depends on your application. 

What You Want to Avoid While Housing Your Planetary Gear System

Improper Support

If you have a lot of force that's coming down on the bearing shaft, you're going to have to support both the input and the output. Otherwise, you will damage your gears and significantly shorten the life of your application. 

Overhanging Load

Improper support in your housing unit may also result in an overhung load. An overhung load, due to lack of bearings, will eat your gear up in a hurry. So, it's very important that you don't have that kind of load sitting on your gear.

Improper Alignment

Alignment is crucial in any planetary housing unit. You want the shafts to be in and out of the gear on the same axis without them being offset at all. If we have proper alignment on the input with the motor, you may only need a single bearing. Again, an improper alignment will dramatically shorten the life of your gears. 

In short, if you invest in building a planetary gear system for any application, it is essential to take the necessary steps to ensure your unit will function effectively and efficiently. If you have any questions on how to properly house your planetary gears, contact us today!