INFORMATION MANUAL

INTRODUCTION:

An Epicyclic Gear Train consists of two gears mounted so that the center of one
gear revolves around the center of the other. A carrier connects the centers of the
two gears and rotates to carry one gear, called the planet gear, around the other,
called the sun gear. The planet and sun gears mesh so that their pitch circles roll
without slip. A point on the pitch circle of the planet gear traces
an epicycloid curve. In this simplified case, the sun gear is fixed and the planetary
gear(s) roll around the sun gear.
An epicyclic gear train can be assembled so the planet gear rolls on the inside of
the pitch circle of a fixed, outer gear ring, or ring gear, called an annular gear. In
this case, the curve traced by a point on the pitch circle of the planet is
a hypocycloid.

The combination of epicycle gear trains with a planet engaging both a sun gear and
an annular gear is called a planetary gear train. In this case, the annular gear is
usually fixed and the sun gear is driven.
Epicyclic gears get their name from their earliest application, which was the
modeling of the movements of the planets in the heavens. Believing the planets, as
everything in the heavens, to be perfect, they could only travel in perfect circles,
but their motions as viewed from Earth could not be reconciled with circular
motion. At around 500 BC, the Greeks invented the idea of epicycles, of circles
traveling on the circular orbits. With this theory Claudius Ptolemy in
the Almagest in 148 AD was able to predict planetary orbital paths.
The Antikythera Mechanism, circa 80 BC, had gearing which was able to
approximate the moon's elliptical path through the heavens, and even to correct for
the nine-year precession of that path. (Of course, the Greeks would have seen it as
not elliptical, but rather epicyclic, motion.)

WORKING:

In an epicyclic gear ( sun & planet type), it consist of co – axial shafts S1 & S2 , an
annuals gear A which is fixed, the compound gear (or planet gear) B-C, the sun
gear D and the arm H. The annulus gear has internal teeth & the compound gear is
carried by the arm & revolves freely on a pin of the arm H. The sun gear is co –
axial with the annulus gear and the arm but independent of them.
The annulus gear a meshes with the gear B and the sun gear D meshes with the
gear C. it may be noted that the annulus gear is fixed, the sun gear provides the
drive and when the sun gear is fixed, the annulus gear provides the drive. In both
cases, the arm acts as follower.
In an epicyclic gear train, the axes of the shaft, over which the gear are mounted,
may move relative to a fixed axis. If the arm is fixed the gear train is simple &
gear1 drive gear 2. But if gear 1 is fixed & arm is rotated about the axes of gear 1,
then the gear 2 is forced to rotate upon & around gear 1. Such a motion is called
epicyclic & the gear train arranged in such a manner that one or more of their
member move upon & around another member is known as epicyclic gear train.
OVERVIEW:

Epicyclic gearing or planetary gearing is a gear system consisting of one or more

outer gears, or planet gears, revolving about a central, or sun gear. Typically, the
planet gears are mounted on a movable arm or carrier which itself may rotate
relative to the sun gear. Epicyclic gearing systems also incorporate the use of an
outer ring gear orannulus, which meshes with the planet gears. Planetary gears (or
epicyclic gears) are typically classified as simple or compound planetary gears.
Simple planetary gears have one sun, one ring, one carrier, and one planet set.
Compound planetary gears involve one or more of the following three types of
structures: meshed-planet (there are at least two more planets in mesh with each
other in each planet train), stepped-planet (there exists a shaft connection between
two planets in each planet train), and multi-stage structures (the system contains
two or more planet sets). Compared to simple planetary gears, compound planetary
gears have the advantages of larger reduction ratio, higher torque-to-weight ratio,
and more flexible configurations.
The axes of all gears are usually parallel, but for special cases like pencil
sharpeners and differentials, they can be placed at an angle, introducing elements
of bevel gear (see below). Further, the sun, planet carrier and annulus axes are
usually coaxial.

Advantages of Planetary Gear Heads:

 Compact size and low weight – as much as 50% reduction with same torque
output.
 High power density – several planets share the load rather than one gear, the
more planets the more sharing.
 Longer gear life at similar loads.
 Gearing can be very accurate with virtually no backlash.
  High efficiency – 95% per stage is common.
 Coaxial arrangement – no offset output shaft
 Modular, most planetary stages can be stacked.

Disadvantages of Planetary Gear Heads:

 Noisier Operation – some planetary gear heads are noisy.

 Gearing must be accurate to assure load sharing
 High bearing loads can lead to early wear in dead stud or sleeve bearing
construction
 Generally grease lubricated (oil bath is the better).
 High ratio of length to diameter when using multiple stages (gear head gets
very long).
 High cost if low backlash and long life are required.