Customizable Planetary Gearset (Cycloidical)

thingiverse

Caution: The code needs updating to use the new library found at this link:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:777936 To access more practical information, follow the instructions provided. Not all combinations of planetary gear teeth allow for equal distribution around the circumference. If a combination enables equal distribution, it may mean that the planets are at multiples of the minimal mounting distance away from one another, making the assembly weaker than desired. More tooth number combinations can be made possible by grouping planets and having them as closely/tightly packed as needed, with planetary gear teeth numbers defining the number of planet groups. For this, use the greatest common divisor (GCD) value found in the gear teeth numbers to establish the number of starting points for filling. The number of sun and planetary gear teeth can be defined by applying multipliers to that GCD value. Planetary gear tooth shapes can be designed using a cycloidical shape instead of an involute shape, which enables smaller toothnumbers than involutes. Cycloidical toothnumber combinations are less compatible because of this. Organizing planets by grouping according to the greatest common divisor (GCD) and then distributing them around the circumference offers more options. Benefits of Cycloidical Gear Tooth Shapes: - Possible with fewer parameters: less variable input required - Possibly smoother contact areas -> potentially less friction