Right Angle Gear Boxes
Right angle gear boxes contain input shafts that are positioned perpendicularly to the output shafts. Right angle gearboxes, also referred to as right angle speed reducers, have up to 98 percent efficiency levels and are common in printing presses and glass cutting equipment.
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How Right Angle Gearboxes Work
Right angle gearboxes are just one subcategory of a vital piece of machinery. The gearbox, also known as a speed reducer or simple transmission, is what processes the energy from the engine to actually set in motion the parts of the machine, such as the blade or drill of a tool or the wheels of a vehicle. Two or more gears must be present and active to make this process work, and the two most important gears are the input and output gears. The input gear is attached to the engine itself, therefore dealing with the raw energy it puts out. The output gear is sometimes attached directly to the input gear and sometimes has other gears in between, depending on the gear reducer system. Either way, it is always attached to the part of the machine that will be moving. Right angle gearboxes are special because of the way they are set up, with the input gear attached to the output gear perpendicularly. Often made from steel, these gears also have a protective covering.
Applications of Right Angle Gear Boxes
Right angle gearboxes have such high efficiency levels that a wide variety of industries utilize them. Some of these industries include materials handling, automotive, aerospace, recreational, construction, food and beverage processing, oil and gas, and textiles. Right angle gearboxes are used in a variety of applications, including use in automation equipment, conveyors, compressors, printing presses, pumps, compressors, generators and robotics. Manufacturers commonly sell remanufactured right angle gear boxes. These gearboxes often come at greatly reduced costs but may lack a warranty. When selecting a gear box, consider the gear ratio, efficiency requirements, mechanical rating, and thermal rating. The number of teeth defines the gear ratio in both of the gears involved in the process and how much work the input gear must do before affecting the output gear. This ratio is how the gear box system is able to slow down the energy output of an engine while retaining or multiplying the amount of force put forth.