What Is a Planetary Gearbox?
A planetary gearbox is a device used to amplify or decrease the torque, which is a physical quantity representing the force to rotate an object.
It consists of three main components: the sun gear, the planet gear, and the ring gear. The sun gear is a gear positioned at the center, surrounded by planet gears, which mesh with both the sun gear and the ring gear. The ring gear is the outer gear with which the planet gears mesh and is responsible for power transmission to the exterior. These components interact to create multiple power transmission paths, allowing for changes in rotational speed and amplification or reduction of torque.
Planetary gearboxes are used in applications such as robot arms, conveyor belts, and automotive transmissions.