RA RODRIGUEZ unveils new cycloidal gears

The Nabtesco Neco® series comprises what R A Rodriguez refers to as "State-of-the-art yet economical transmission solutions that deliver modular design combined with all-round corrosion protection”. Claimed to offer easy and rapid installation, Neco® cycloidal gear units can be adapted to suit all common servomotors says the company.

Featuring a solid shaft, Neco® precision cycloidal gears are claimed to meet  customer needs by setting new standards in design, efficiency and flexibility. Further, the installation effort for the motor is said to be reduced as the alignment of the drive pinion is no longer necessary, and a flexible system with modular bushings and flanges allows uncomplicated adaptation. Offering high power density in a compact envelope, the series comprises fully enclosed gear units based on precision gears from the RH-N series. 

Nabtesco has also developed a new online process that simplifies configuration to help machine designers create a custom gearbox quickly and easily. By accessing the new configurator, engineers will be guided intuitively according to Rodriguez.

Currently, three sizes of Neco® cycloidal geared units (25, 42 and 125 with maximum acceleration/deceleration torques of 612Nm, 1029Nm and 3062 Nm respectively) are available from the company, which says that more sizes are to follow. The current sizes are suitable for a range of applications including handling equipment such as SCARA or delta robots, packaging equipment, machine tools, food industry equipment, and medical imaging devices to name a few.

Cycloidal gears are particularly suitable for applications where backlash and positioning accuracy are critically important. The new products are said to offer a long service life and  enable a reduction in ratios from 30:1 to more than 300:1 without additional pre-stages that are necessary in standard planetary gears. A further advantage in comparison with planetary gears is that cycloidal gears are more compact - around 50% shorter - and lighter. 

Neco® servo gearboxes achieve high precision with a hysteresis loss of only 0.5 arc.min, which is supported by a design featuring dual-bearing eccentric shafts and a bearing-mounted input shaft. These geared units also stated to offer high overload capacity and torsional rigidity. Even at high acceleration torques or under high loads, precisely controlled motions and pinpoint positioning is assured. Neco® gearboxes can withstand shock loads of up to five times the rated torque.

Neco® cycloidal gears are lightweight to meet the requirements of applications with lower inertia, improved load conditions and reduced power consumption. For example, the motor shaft is adapted by means of a radial clamping ring that reduces inertia by up to 39% to enable a more dynamic solution. User advantages include shorter cycle times, as well as higher productivity and efficiency. With regard to corrosion protection, Nabtesco’s proprietary SSA coating is said to provide optimal safeguarding, ensuring long life and low maintenance.