Gearbox design for 6-axis robots
Gearboxes for robots must be precise, robust and compact. Every robot is only as good as its gearbox. More than 60% of all industrial robots are equipped with the cycloid gearboxes of the gearbox specialist with European headquarters in Düsseldorf - making Nabtesco the undisputed world market leader in robotics. At the end of the article, you will find the link to the white paper on the gearbox design of 6-axis robots.
Like humans, a robot also needs movable “joints” that remain fully functional until old age. The requirements vary depending on the application, but dynamics and precision as well as low wear over the entire service life are always required. How precise, strong and fast a robot is, depends largely on the performance of the gear solutions used.
What is the advantage of using cycloid precision gearboxes?
Rapid movements, extreme accelerations, precise placement, high load capacities, precise positioning: gears in robotics are exposed to particularly high loads and therefore require the highest degree of precision, dynamics and durability. Even after millions of cycles, they have to perform their work smoothly and reliably.
The be-all and end-all in gearbox design: understanding the application.
Since no two applications are alike, robots are usually developed individually for the respective application. The same applies to the gears. For example, in pick-and-place applications in the handling area, high speed and repeatability are particularly important. The precise placing of heavy loads is also one of the elementary tasks. Welding or painting robots, on the other hand, must never deviate from the specified path and must therefore have a particularly high positioning accuracy. When designing gears for robots, therefore, a detailed analysis of the requirements and the process, a high level of application and engineering expertise as well as close cooperation with the customer are of particular importance.
