The development of realia for the planetary gear unit to improve students’ understanding on the basics of automatic transmission

Abstract

This study aims to design and develop a real model of a planetary gear unit providing three kinds of simulation for the basic configurations of the planetary gear unit in which one component member is locked, two members are held together, and two input members works. This is a research and development (R&D) to develop a realia of the planetary gear unit for the learning of automatic transmission basics. The realia is expected to demonstrate how the configurations in which one component member is locked, two members are held together, and two input members moves. This study was carried out through ten stages, namely analyzing potentials and problems, needs analysis, product design, focus group discussion, product development, pilot study (small-scale field test), product revision, large-scale field test, product revision, and final product. The data were collected by questionnaires and were analyzed quantitatively. The product of this study is learning media in the form of realia made of acrylic so that the components are clearly visible and the work of basic configurations of the three gears in the planetary gear unit is easy to understand. These basic arangements can be operationalized on the learning media by applying brakes to the ring, carrier, and sun gears and applying cluthes between the sun and carrier gears, the sun and ring gears, and the carrier and ring gears. Evaluated from its performance, the realia of the planetary gear unit can work well. The shaft can rotate well though some friction generated, the clutch and brake can work on its function, as well as the constituent gears can rotate as its real version does. This is reinforced by the responses from the material and media experts that reveal the product meets the very feasible category.