Speed Reducers Photos Courtesy of Boston Gear.
The gear is one of the most basic building blocks for modern day mechanisms. They have been around for thousands of years, although the wooden gears of the Greek enlightenment were nothing compared to the gears working within the speed reducers systems. Current gear development, such as speed reducers are able to be built very small while still producing large amounts of power. Speed reducers are one example of the technological advancements built from the foundation of a single gear that should make the human race very proud.
Technically speaking, a basic speed reducer is a mechanism able to change the rotational speed from an input shaft into a lower output speed. They provide speed optimization, equipment longevity and performance improvement, among other characteristics. To speak more specifically about this wonder of a gear, the term “speed reducers” needs to be edited down to a few of its varieties, with specific modifications that have gleaned names of their own. For example, gear boxes and gear drives are terms used interchangeably, referring to when a speed reducer is attached to a motor or shaft and serve the purpose of keeping the speed from the power source constant instead of erratic. Another example is reduction gears, which reduce the amount of rotations per minute of a machine or engine powered system.
Speed reducers have so many varieties that they are able to be installed within numerous mechanical systems. Industries that utilize them often include food and beverage processing, automotive, aerospace, aviation, marine, oil and gas, construction and industrial manufacturing. Specific applications include controlling the amount of power being output from an engine in a vehicle, automation equipment, conveyors, presses, generators, pumps and robotics. The items we have been able to produce in recent years would not be possible without the evolution of the gear into the many styles of speed reducers that make the conversion and dispersion of mechanical power possible.
