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Press release | Cycloidal gears: No. 1 for handling and positioning. Nabtesco gears offer technical and economic advantages

For high-precision, dynamic and flexible handling and positioning applications, cycloidal gears are the technology of choice. Their high precision and power density can shorten machining times, improve product quality, boost productivity and lower costs. An efficient alternative to conventional technologies such as planetary gears and direct drives.

 

Nabtesco is the world’s largest manufacturer of precision cycloidal gears and the market leader in the field of robotic gears, which makes the company a highly sought-after partner for automation. Whether they are used in robotics, machine and plant engineering, electric vehicles, logistics or medical technology: The innovative gear systems are widespread in all industries and are a significant factor in reducing costs and boosting performance.

 

Innovative, extremely high-performance technology

Cycloidal gears use cams and rollers for power transmission. This ensures high efficiency, exceptional resistance to shock loads (up to 500 % of the rated torque) and minimal backlash throughout the entire service life (hysteresis loss of 0.5 to max. 1 arcmin). As a result of the two-stage reduction principle, the precision gears also achieve excellent performance with respect to dynamics and smooth operation, as well as high repeatability and path accuracy. The gears perform flawlessly even in high-precision positioning applications with heavy loads or very fast and abrupt motions.

 

A viable alternative to low backlash planetary gears

Wherever precision and positioning accuracy are important, cycloidal gears offer consistently better performance specifications in comparison with planetary gears. Since they have a more robust design, they also last longer. Even over extended periods the increase in backlash is very low with cycloidal gears – a decisive advantage over normal planetary gears, which often suffer from increased backlash during the course of their service life. By design, cycloidal gears are more rigid and compact (about 50 % shorter), and also lighter than multi-stage planetary gears. In addition, their ability to withstand overloads is about 500 % higher.

 

Integrated main bearing: The gearbox as a load-bearing machine element

Thanks to their robust integrated main bearing, Nabtesco gears can also withstand 250 % higher bending moments than conventional planetary gears of a comparable size. This makes them a load-bearing component in the machine or robot, therefore eliminating the need for external bearings. Users benefit from improved performance, a more compact design, lower engineering expenses, faster installation and reduced costs.

 

More efficient, more sustainable and more economical than direct drives

Cycloidal gears also offer decisive advantages over direct drives. Direct drives are used extensively in systems for the manufacture of machine tools. However, they consume a great deal of energy and must be water cooled whenever high inertial forces need to be moved. Also with respect to issues such as CO2 footprint, energy efficiency, complex assembly and cost optimisation, the limits of gearless drives soon become obvious. Cycloidal gears from Nabtesco are a much more attractive choice in many applications, both technologically and economically. They are not only less expensive and easier to integrate, but also reduce energy consumption and require less installation space.

 

Innovative gear technology for higher production efficiency

Cycloidal gears are widely accepted as a key technology for efficient automation solutions and reliable production processes. With a broad portfolio of precision products, extensive expertise, and a high level of engineering competence, Nabtesco works together with the customer to achieve custom-tailored drive solutions that ideally fulfil the requirements of the particular application.