Digitalization & transmission: your path to the future
Digitalization is revolutionizing production processes, opening up new growth potential and paving the way for innovative business models, applications and services. Gearboxes play a key role here: as the heart of machines and robots, they are an indispensable component of the manufacturing industry - and a decisive driver of digital transformation. We answer the most important questions and show you intelligent solutions for the digitalization of gearboxes and drives.
Discover productsDigital gearboxes combine high-precision mechanics with smart sensor technology. They record and analyze operating data, communicate with higher-level controllers or external systems and thus enable intelligently networked drive solutions in modern production plants. As a central component of future-oriented smart factory architectures, they provide real-time information - and make a significant contribution to process stability, energy efficiency and predictive maintenance.
There are two sensor approaches to the digitalization of gearboxes:
Gearboxes with integrated sensors have torque, temperature and vibration sensors that are installed in or on the housing. They provide high-resolution real-time data, but usually increase the space requirement as well as the cabling and EMC effort. Retrofitting in existing systems is therefore often complex and cost-intensive.
Gearboxes with virtual sensor technology do not require any additional hardware. Algorithms analyze existing process signals - such as speed and torque curves - and link them with models and empirical values from gearbox development. On this basis, reliable conclusions can be drawn about the current condition of the gearbox and the remaining service life can be reliably predicted.
What advantages do digital gearboxes offer?
Digital gearboxes create the basis for intelligent, networked production. By continuously recording and evaluating real-time data, they enable targeted optimization of quality, efficiency and productivity - directly during operation. Thanks to integrated sensors and digital interfaces, precise live data is available for condition monitoring (continuous condition monitoring) and predictive maintenance. The actual operating behavior and the load on individual axes can therefore be tracked at any time. Anomalies, wear or irregularities are detected at an early stage - even before failures occur. In this way, digital gearboxes increase system availability, reduce maintenance costs and increase process reliability in the long term.
Added value through digitalization:
- Planned maintenance and reduced service costs
- Minimized downtimes, maximum availability
- Increased efficiency and performance
- Targeted process optimization
- Reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO)
When is it worth using digital gearboxes?
The use of digital gearboxes is particularly worthwhile when unplanned downtimes cause high costs, load profiles vary greatly, quality data must be recorded consistently or service calls are difficult. Typical fields of application include robotics, automotive and e-mobility production, medical technology, intralogistics, packaging technology and the food industry.
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Digitalization: Solutions from Nabtesco
Data is the fuel of digital transformation - but its value is only created through sound analysis and interpretation. Our solutions combine more than 35 years of expertise and provide convincing answers to current questions - from digital gearbox models to sensorized strain wave gears and hybridized cycloidal gears.
Your partner for digitalization in transmission technology:
- Leading gearbox and drive expertise
- Solution-oriented digitalization
- Integration of electronics, sensors and software
- Comprehensive mechatronic system expertise
- High development depth - from the idea to series production
- Many years of experience in the field of intelligent drive solutions
- In-depth expertise in the digitalization of drive systems
- Technological openness and customer-specific flexibility
- Practical implementation
Digital strain wave gearbox: installation space-neutral and powerful
Our digital strain wave gearbox combines intelligent sensor technology and full performance in a space-neutral solution. It offers identical dimensions to a standard gearbox with comparable performance data and therefore requires no additional installation space - unique on the market to date.
Your advantages:
- Same dimensions as a standard gearbox
- No additional space required in the machine or robot
- Significant cost savings
- Ideal solution for intelligent automation
- Customized design possible
Digital gear twin: Nabtesco add-on for robot control
We are the first gearbox manufacturer in robotics to open the "black box gearbox" and provide robot manufacturers with gearbox-specific data and characteristics of our cycloidal gears using a Nabtesco add-on for robot control. The goal is a digital replica of the haptic gearbox with its relevant properties - the digital gearbox twin becomes reality. An economical solution for real-time monitoring of robots.
Advantages of virtual sensor technology:
- Recording of variables that cannot be measured directly
- Cost-efficient condition monitoring
- Reduced system complexity
- Detailed simulation
- Optimal data quality
- High economic efficiency
