Making a "Planetary Gear Set" using a 3D printer and PLA material

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on designing a planetary gear set using a 3D printer and PLA material, specifically with Autodesk Inventor 2020. The user aims for a 1:1 gear ratio where the sun gear and ring gear rotate in opposite directions at the same speed. The mathematical condition for this configuration is that the number of teeth on the ring gear plus twice the number of teeth on the planet gears must equal the number of teeth on the sun gear plus twice the number of teeth on the planet gears (C + 2P = S + 2P). However, achieving this with practical gear sizes is not feasible, as the diameters of the gears must accommodate the design constraints.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of planetary gear systems
  • Familiarity with Autodesk Inventor 2020
  • Basic knowledge of gear ratios and teeth calculations
  • 3D printing techniques using PLA material
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the design principles of planetary gear systems
  • Learn about gear tooth calculations and ratios
  • Explore advanced features in Autodesk Inventor 2020 for gear design
  • Investigate 3D printing settings and materials for optimal gear performance
USEFUL FOR

Mechanical engineers, 3D printing enthusiasts, and designers looking to create functional gear systems using CAD software and additive manufacturing techniques.

Joorge
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
TL;DR
Obtaining the same speed in the sun and ring gears, while moving in opposite directions in a planetary gear set.
I want to create a set of planetary gears using a 3D printer and PLA material. I'm designing them with the help of Autodesk Inventor 2020 since my knowledge in this area is quite limited. The gear set consists of a ring gear, a sun gear, and 2 planet gears. The sun and the ring gear rotate in opposite directions, while the planet gears remain stationary. I need the rotation speed of the sun and the ring gear to be the same. I mean, one turn of the ring coincides with one turn of the sun, if that's possible, which honestly I have no idea.

I asked ChatGPT, and it tells me the following:

"The basic condition for a functional planetary gear with a 1:1 gear ratio is that the sum of the number of teeth on the ring gear plus twice the number of teeth on the planet gears is equal to the sum of the number of teeth on the sun gear plus twice the number of teeth on the planet gears. Mathematically, this is expressed as:

C + 2P = S + 2P

Where:
C = Number of teeth on the ring gear
S = Number of teeth on the sun gear
P = Number of teeth on each planet gear

This means that the total number of teeth on the ring gear and planet gears must be equal to the total number of teeth on the sun gear and planet gears. By satisfying this equality, the gear ratio will be 1:1, allowing the ring gear and the sun gear to rotate at the same speed and in opposite directions."

Is this true? I'm not sure I can fully trust the AI on this matter, because it gave me a lot of wrong answers before I got to this text, which does seem coherent to me.

Thank you and regards.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Indeed, I'm asking again and it's telling me the last answer I've posted is wrong. I'd appreciate if you can tell me the "truth", LOL. It may not be possible for one turn of the ring to coincide with one turn of the sun, but I guess is right, as long as the ring and the sun have the same amount of teeth. Please let me know.
 
Last edited:
To keep the planets stationary the tangential speeds of sun and ring need to be equal but opposite. If you want their angular speeds to be equal and opposite too, their radii would have to be equal, so the planets would need to be of size zero.
 
Thanks for your answer. Honestly, I don't know that much about tangential and angular speeds. What I need is the ring to turn once at the same time as the sun does, but in opposite directions, hence the planetary set. I understand this is possible as long as the ring and the sun have the same number of teeth, and the problem will be the diameter of the ring to be big enough to hold the sun and planets. It won't be possible for certain sizes. Do you think I'm right?
 
Last edited:
Joorge said:
It won't be possible for certain sizes. Do you think I'm right?
See my post above. It won't be possible for any feasible gear size.
 

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
6K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K