The term gear reduction or gear reducers might be puzzling to some. Fundamentally, a gear reducer is a gear set-up in which the input speed can be altered or reduced for a specific requirement and generate a slower output speed. Essentially, the incoming torque from the wheelwork is being transmitted to the rotating gears where it can be changed. With the basic definition out of the way, it’s time to understand more about these machines. 

Here are a few fundamental facts about gear reducers:

How many gears are used in this setup?

Usually, the number of gears used in a gear reducer assembly or a gearbox depends on the speed requirement of a particular application. Thus, the use of this device in different machinery can be very simple or complex. For example, in the case of a ship with high-speed turbines, in order to achieve high efficiency, the ship’s steam turbine must work at a high rpm range. Conversely, the propeller should work at a relatively low rpm. This is a perfect scenario where a gear reducer takes action to change the high speed from the steam turbine into a much lower range to suit the ship’s propeller. 

What are the major categories of gear reducers?

Gear reducers come in two major categories, single reduction gear and double reduction gear. The single reduction gear is made up of ports where the engine and the propeller shafts enter. It is the pinion that drives the larger gear attached to the propeller shaft. Normally, a single reduction gear has a gear twice as big as the pinion. On the other hand, the double reduction gear is ideal for applications that need very high speeds. A flexible coupling is used to mount the pinion to the input shaft, which is then connected to the first reduction gear, also known as the intermediate gear. Ultimately, this type of gear reduction setup allows for a high ratio of speed reduction.

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