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Old 01-18-2014, 05:51 PM   #288
D K
Stig's dark passenger
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
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There are major differences in the overdrive mechanisms between the Vortech superchargers and the Rotrex.

Vortech uses a gear setup where Rotrex uses a planetary type setup.
The issue with any gear driven mechanism is noise. In order to combat noise, the gears are designed as helical gears.
Helical gears create thrust. This axial thrust takes away from the efficiency of the drive unit.
A spur gear would be more efficient, but the noise would be dreadful.
Even a typical gear type planetary setup would be very noisy.

Enter Rotrex.
They came up with a planetary setup that doesn't use gears. It uses roller bearings, so you get the best of both worlds: no noise and no thrust load.
Because of the extra efficiency, the gearing can be more aggressive, which gives the Rotrex a huge advantage at lower rpm.

The tolerances are so tight between the sun/planet roller and the planet/ring roller that the ring gets squeezed during the manufacturing process in order to fit the planet rollers in the gap.
That's the reason for the 'special' fluid.
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