Planetary Gear: Functions, Components, and Maintenance
29 January, 2023
Car owners, especially automatic cars, may have heard of planetary gear components. This is one of the important components which functions to regulate and operate the transmission. Planetary gear has an arrangement of gear teeth that are almost similar in shape to the arrangement of the planets or the solar system. That’s why this component is called planetary gear.
What makes it so important? To find out more about what planetary gear is, its functions and components, see the following review!
About Planetary Gears
Planetary gear is a gear set consisting of important components, such as ring gear, sun gear, and others. These components form an arrangement that is connected to one another.
The role of planetary gear in vehicles is very important, especially in cars with automatic transmission. The point is to regulate the motion and speed of the car so that the load distribution on the gears is more even. Most of the new automatic cars use planetary gear, including the Almaz RS. Moreover, the Wuling SUV is equipped with CVT technology which makes gear shift smoother and more responsive when driving at a speed set by the driver.
Planetary Gear function
As mentioned above, the function of the planetary gear is to regulate the transmission of the car, including controlling its speed. With this component, the driver will find it easier to increase and decrease speed.
Not only that, the planetary gear also functions to regulate the motion of the car, namely forward and backward movement. This function is very beneficial for the driver because it makes it easier to drive the car.
How Planetary Gears Work
Planetary gear consists of interconnected components, including ring gear, sun gear, and planetary pinion gear. Each component works according to orders. These components can rotate and be held still.
When the ring gear is held, the car will accelerate at maximum speed resulting in an increase in torque. And when the sun gear is held, the ring gear acts as a driving force so that the car’s speed will decrease.
Planetary Gear Components
The planetary gear consists of 3 components, namely the sun gear, ring gear and planetary pinion gear. Here’s a detailed explanation.
1. Ring Gears
The ring gear components are located on the outside of the planetary gear. This component plays a very important role, namely as a lever for all components. The ring gear is connected to the pinion gear which is also connected to the central gear. That is why the performance of the ring gear is also affected by the central gear.
2. Sun Gear
In the planetary gear there is also a sun gear which has fewer teeth when compared to the ring gear. Sun gear as the name suggests acts like the sun as the center of the solar system, namely the center of the planetary gear. Sun gear is the axis of all planetary gear components. Sun gear consists of 2 types, namely helical gear and spur gear.
3. Planetary Pinion Gear
The third component of the planetary gear is the planetary pinion gear. These are the components that surround the shaft or hub and are interconnected with the other gears. The planetary pinion gear has a smaller diameter and is mounted around the sun gear and is surrounded by a ring gear.
How to Take Care of Planetary Gear
Considering that planetary gear is a very important component in cars, especially automatic cars, you need to take care of it so that it doesn’t get damaged quickly. Moreover, this component has quite a lot of teeth that are connected to each other so that the treatment must be intense.
The way to care for planetary gear so that it performs well is to clean the gear parts regularly. Gear is very easy to get dirty because the components are connected to each other. When the gear is not cleaned regularly, the performance of the planetary gear is also compromised. Components inside can get stuck and don’t rotate properly.
Of course this makes it difficult for the driver to move the car and adjust the speed. In addition, to avoid wear and tear on the transmission parts, it needs to be lubricated regularly. Components on the transmission have the potential to wear out due to long periods of use.
So, that’s a complete explanation of planetary gear that you should know. By knowing its functions and uses and how to care for it, your car will last longer and be more comfortable to drive.
