Strain wave gears for compact axles and robot joints
Nabtesco short-stroke gear units are backlash-free helical gear units with a reduced axial length. They were developed for compact shafts and joints where high torque density, precision, and a long service life are required in a confined space. Compared to similar short-design shaft gearboxes, they offer 20% more torque and a 40% longer service life for the same size.
Are you looking for a backlash-free worm gear in a short design that fits into compact axles or joints and can handle high torques in tight spaces?
We can assist you with selection, design, and integration.
What are the advantages of Nabtesco's short-ratio gearboxes?
Short-design helical gearboxes are up to 35% shorter than standard designs, making them a suitable solution for applications with limited axial installation space. However, due to their design, the shorter installation length results in significantly reduced torque capacity and service life.
With its short gearboxes, Nabtesco offers a more powerful variant: they deliver more torque within the same installation space or the same output with a smaller footprint. This creates design flexibility for more compact axes, lighter connecting structures, and more efficient overall designs. The longer service life also supports higher machine availability and reduces unplanned downtime.
Your benefits:
Use of smaller gearbox sizes
More compact axes and joints
Lighter connecting structures
Reduced material usage
Longer service life
Higher machine availability
Fewer unplanned downtimes
More torque and a longer service life
The higher rated torque of Nabtesco short gearboxes also results in higher limit and peak torques. This increases overload capacity, dynamic performance, and operational reliability in compact drive units.
Key performance figures compared to comparable short-design gearboxes:
20% more torque
40% longer service life (10,000 h instead of 7,000 h)
20% higher repeatable peak torque
20% higher acceleration torque
20% higher emergency stop torque
Additional limit torques:
20% higher static and dynamic overload torques
20% higher collision torque
When is a short-design bevel gear a good choice?
A short-design gear unit is particularly useful when the axial installation length is a key design criterion. It enables compact shafts and joints without limiting torque and service life as significantly as conventional short-design shaft gear units.
If sufficient installation space is available, a standard design is often the more technically and economically sound solution. It offers greater design flexibility in terms of torque, service life, and load capacity.
Typical Applications
Typical applications include compact axes, joints, and positioning systems in robotics, medical technology, automation, and mechanical engineering.
Robotics:
Humanoid robots
Compact robot joints
End-effector axes in robots
Medical Technology:
Dental milling machines
Detector and optical adjustments in imaging systems
Automation and mechanical engineering:
Positioning axes
Rotary axes
Compact drive units
Technical Specifications of Nabtesco Short Gearboxes
| Technical Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Gear Type | Backlash-free precision gearbox |
| Gear Technology | Shaft gearbox |
| Design | Short design with reduced axial installation length |
| Rated torque range | 4.5 to 115 Nm |
| Designs | Helmet-type gearheads, pot-type gearheads |
| Hollow shaft | Available |
Depending on the application, performance data, geometry, material, and interfaces can be customized.
Flyer and
Additional Technical Details
If you'd like more information about our new short-ratio gearboxes, download our flyer now.
Find out more now:
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Nabtesco Short Gearboxes Compared to Conventional Short-Bodied Shaft Gearboxes
| Criterion | Conventional short-ratio bevel gearbox | Nabtesco short gearbox |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length | Short axial design | Short axial design |
| Torque | Limited by design | 20% more torque for the same size |
| Service life | Limited by design | 40% longer service life: 10,000 hours compared to 7,000 hours for comparable short designs |
| Application | Compact shafts and joints | Compact shafts and joints with higher torque density |
| Characteristics | Reduced axial installation space | Reduced axial installation space with higher power density |
Rated torques and maximum acceleration torques that impress
| Size | Rated torque (Nm) | Max. acceleration torque (Nm) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nabtesco | Market | Nabtesco | Market | |
| 35 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 23 | 19 |
| 43 | 19 | 16 | 44.5 | 37 |
| 51 | 34 | 28 | 77 | 64 |
| 63 | 56.5 | 47 | 148 | 123 |
| 81 | 115 | 96 | 314 | 261 |
Why Choose Nabtesco short gears?
Nabtesco short-form gearboxes are not simply shortened versions of existing shaft gearboxes. To achieve higher power density, key components such as the shaft generator, Flexspline, and Circular Spline have been further engineered, and the component geometries have been specifically optimized.
The result is short-design precision gearboxes that enable compact designs without limiting torque and service life to the levels of conventional short-design variants. This gives designers greater flexibility in developing compact, high-performance, and cost-effective axle and joint solutions.
Consulting on bevel gear units with a short axial installation length
Are you developing compact axes, joints, or drive units and want to know if our short-design shaft gearheads are suitable for your application? We can assist you with the technical selection, design, and integration of suitable short gearheads.
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Learn more about our bevel gearboxes
Our backlash-free bevel gearboxes combine high precision and a compact design with flexibility and high cost-effectiveness. They offer great design freedom and can be efficiently integrated into sophisticated drive systems.
Product catalogue Find out more about strain wave gears
