Before taking a closer look at gear reduction motor and its application, it is important to ask yourself, what is a gear motor? In short, this is a mechanism that either increases or decreases the speed of electric motors, making them operate at certain speeds.
Primarily, they are designed to reduce the operating mechanism from a high to low speed without affecting its operation.
Reduction Gear
A reduction gear is a motor arrangement aimed at reducing the output speed, with either more or the same torque. In the gear assembly, the gear used will depend on the output speed required for a particular application.
Why should you use a Reduction Gear?
To get a better understanding of why reduction gears are used in certain machinery, a good example is that of a ship with high-speed turbines. For a ship turbine to operate efficiently, it should work at a high range of rpm. While this is the case, propellers require a low range of rpm.
This is where the reduction gear comes in. In such cases, it reduces the high-speed to low range rpm for the effective functioning of the propeller.
Speed Reducers and Gear Motors
Speed reducers are simple gear train fitted between the machinery and motor. Their main function is to reduce the speed of power transmission. The gear reducers (speed reducers) can still double the torque from a power source, expanding the measure of work to be completed.
Planetary Gear Reducers
These gear motors are arranged in different stages with unique structures. There is the ring gear that engages the satellites. There’s also the carrier that can hold a maximum of three gears and meshes with the Sun. Lastly, there’s the Sun, which rotates around the central shaft of the system.
Many engineers advocate for this type of gear motor because it’s highly reliable. It’s also the reason why recommended for use by many automatic transmission.
Spur Gear Reducers
This type of gear reducer features teeth that are on parallel axes. It is commonly used if motion has to be transferred from one shaft to the other. The key feature is that it provides a stable and consistent speed ration. It can also transfer a great amount of power (maximum of 500 KW).
Choosing the Right Gear Reducer
Before you settle for an ideal gear reducer, there are a couple of things you may want to consider.
Rotation Speed
The function of a gear reducer is to minimize the motor speed, and you must know your most ideal speed for optimal operation. Depending on the rotational speed, the reduction ration will determine your rational speed. This information will be indicated on the manufactures product page, and it is usually indicated in revolutions per minute.
Final Thoughts- Form Factor
This is a parameter that can significantly affect your operation. If you’re using dc motor control, for instance, the form factor will substantially impact the gear ratio as well as motor size. Unfiltered control is an aspect that raises the motor temperature. This means that you might need a larger motor if you have a continuous duty cycle.
