The gearbox of the future is digital

The digital transformation is one of the central challenges of our time. Anyone who fails to realise this will fall by the wayside in the long run, explains Daniel Obladen, Director Sales and Marketing at Nabtesco Precision Europe, emphasising: Gears are an important cornerstone in the process of digitalisation. They are the core element of robots and set the pace in the production industry.

High-performance gears with smart sensors

The product portfolio comprises cycloidal gears and strain wave gears and offers full scalability from 7 to 70,000 Nm. There is currently a focus on the digitalisation of gears. Hybridisation, digital gear twins, machine learning, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) are the key concepts.

Integrated sensors and digital interfaces ensure the availability of live data for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. This enables targeted optimisation of quality, efficiency, and productivity - continuously during operation.

Digital strain wave gears

The digital strain wave gear integrates smart sensors with the same dimensions as a standard gearbox, thus offering a compact solution for intelligent automation. Sensors measure torques, temperatures and vibrations. Together with practical empirical values, they provide reliable information on the condition of the gearbox.

The integrated electronic evaluation unit (EEU) analyses the data and sends it directly via the bus system to the higher-level controller. The operator receives recommendations for action, in order to respond promptly to changing parameters and to initiate appropriate measures.

Cycloidal gears and the digital gear twin

Nabtesco pursues a different strategy with the cycloidal gears for robotics applications, making gearbox-specific data and characteristics available. The goal is to provide a digital twin of the haptic gear with its relevant properties.

The system will make use of data values that are already available. Speed and torque characteristics, for example, in combination with a pool of statistical data from more than 35 years of gear development, allow detailed inferences about the state of the gearbox and therefore its remaining life.

Quality, efficiency and productivity

Whether integrated or virtual sensors, whether strain wave gears or cycloidal gears, the digital gear and drive systems from Nabtesco Precision Europe fulfil the most stringent requirements and create the foundation for intelligent, networked production. They increase system availability, lower maintenance costs, and improve process reliability in the long term.

Our solutions help companies to optimise their processes, making them fit for the future, says Daniel Obladen in a nutshell.