Planetary Gearbox Bench
Three gearboxes at three stages of assembly, from a fresh kit to one that ran a full season of competition without service.
Three states of the same part
The bench holds three identical gearboxes: one sealed in its kit packaging, one opened with the stages exposed, and one that has been through a full competition season. Put side by side, they answer the question every new team asks — what actually wears out?
The answer is almost always the same: grease first, then the output shaft bearing, then the gear teeth on the stage closest to the load.
Why we display it disassembled
A gearbox is the least photographed part of any robot and the most responsible for whether the robot moves. Showing the reduction stages as separate rings makes the ratio visible: count the teeth on each stage and the maths of the whole assembly becomes obvious.
Visitors are welcome to turn the input shaft on the middle unit. It is the only hands-on mechanical station in the gallery, and it is the one that gets the most questions from students.
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