Planetary gear bearings are found in travel and swing motors, and drive axles. Their ability to handle heavy loads and sustain high power in a small envelope makes them ideal in for these applications. However, this activity puts intense demand on the rolling bearings. That is why it is important to choose a planetary gear manufacturer that understands your application requirements.
Look for a manufacturer who works with your design team to formulate the right solution. A consultative approach should focus on finding ways for the bearing to have low friction, long life, easy fit and optimal reliability.
Other important elements to discuss with your bearing manufacturer include:
Exact Geometric Calculations: The mathematics behind planetary gear bearing design must be exact. The bearing’s functionality relies on the accuracy of a series of critical calculations that involve geometric principles.
Material Selection: For most applications, steel with a fine grain and low non-metal inclusion should be used. A manufacturer that has ISO9001 or TS16949 certification inspect all incoming steel to verify that it conforms to internal standards.
Heat Treatment Processes: Heat treatment ensures that the final product is hardened to a specified level – reducing wear and exposure to bearing failure.
It is important to know if the manufacturer conducts its own heat treatment on-site or if it is subcontracted. Precision manufacturers like CCTY maintain all critical processes – including heat treatment – in-house for heightened control on the final product.
Precision Grinding and Turning: Automation consistently produces bearings with tight tolerances. Turning and grinding are two areas that greatly benefit from a more exact methodology that only robotics can provide.
Verifying these aspects of production before starting a planetary gear project will translate into a bearing with low noise, low vibration and a compact design – benefiting your steering systems, powertrains and articulated joints.
