{"id":760,"date":"2026-06-03T02:22:05","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T02:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planetary-gearboxes.com\/?p=760"},"modified":"2026-06-03T02:22:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T02:22:05","slug":"planetary-gearbox-backlash-explained-arcmin-linear-error","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetary-gearboxes.com\/ko\/planetary-gearbox-backlash-explained-arcmin-linear-error\/","title":{"rendered":"\uc720\uc131 \uae30\uc5b4\ubc15\uc2a4 \ubc31\ub798\uc2dc \uc124\uba85: \uc544\ud06c\ubd84\uc5d0\uc11c \ubc00\ub9ac\ubbf8\ud130\uae4c\uc9c0\uc758 \uc120\ud615 \uc624\ucc28 \uac00\uc774\ub4dc"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n Backlash specifications for precision planetary gearboxes and servo gear reducers are listed in arcminutes. But machine engineers don’t build in arcminutes \u2014 they build in millimetres. An 8 arcmin backlash figure means nothing until you know your load radius. At 500 mm it produces a 1.16 mm positioning error. At 100 mm it is only 0.23 mm. This guide converts the numbers, explains what actually causes them, and shows how to specify the right precision grade without paying for precision you cannot use.<\/p>\n Request a Free Backlash Specification Review \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n In a precision planetary gearbox, backlash is the angular free play measurable at the output shaft when the input shaft is held stationary and the output is loaded alternately in positive and negative directions with a small test torque. It is the total angular dead-band that the output shaft sweeps through when load direction reverses \u2014 the gap between gear teeth in mesh, expressed as the angular equivalent at the output shaft.<\/p>\n The standard test method (per ISO 9283 and consistent with DIN EN 61800 servo equipment standards) applies a load equal to \u00b13% of the gearbox’s allowable output torque. This specific load level is chosen deliberately: it is large enough to fully take up any geometric clearance in the gear meshes, but small enough that torsional elastic deflection of the gearbox components is negligible \u2014 so what is measured is pure geometric backlash, not a mix of backlash and stiffness.<\/p>\n Gearboxes are rotational devices. Their inherent accuracy specification must be angular. Degrees are too coarse \u2014 a precision gearbox at 0.133\u00b0 backlash sounds large, but that is only 8 arcmin, a very standard specification. Arcminutes provide the right resolution: 1 arcmin = 1\/60th of a degree = approximately 0.0167\u00b0. The metric system equivalent for angular error is milliradians (mrad), but arcminutes dominate the planetary gearbox industry and all EP series datasheets are specified in arcmin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fix the gearbox input shaft rigidly. Attach a precision torque arm to the output shaft at a known radius. Apply a positive test torque equal to 3% of rated torque and read the angular position (encoder or dial gauge). Apply negative test torque of equal magnitude and read again. The total angular displacement between the two readings is the backlash value. Korea Ever-Power measures and certificates backlash for every EP series unit before shipment, with the measurement performed at the \u00b13% test load standard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The following table converts every standard \uc11c\ubcf4 \uae30\uc5b4\ubc15\uc2a4<\/strong> backlash specification \u2014 from ultra-precision at 1 arcmin through standard-grade at 30 arcmin \u2014 into the actual linear positioning error at five practical load radii. All values are calculated using the exact formula E = R \u00d7 tan(\u03b8) where \u03b8 is the backlash angle in radians. For typical precision planetary gearbox backlash values below 30 arcmin, the small-angle approximation introduces less than 0.01% error.<\/p>\n The load radius is the distance from the gearbox output shaft centreline to the point where positioning accuracy is being measured or required \u2014 for example, the tip of a robot arm, the cutting tool of a CNC spindle, or the contact point of a conveyor drive roller.<\/p>\n
\nTechnical Deep-Dive<\/span><\/div>\nPlanetary Gearbox Backlash Explained: What Arcminutes Actually Mean at Your Load Radius<\/h1>\n
What Backlash Actually Is \u2014 and How It Is Measured<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nThe Table Every Servo Gearbox Engineer Needs \u2014 Arcmin to Millimetre Linear Error at Five Load Radii<\/h2>\n