Discover the advantages of Hygienic Design Gear Boxes and Harmonic Drive solutions for the highest demands.
What are HD Gear Boxes and what are their main advantages?
HD Gear Boxes include both Harmonic Drive Well Gear Boxes as well as special Hygienic Design Gear Boxes. Their main advantages are high precision, extreme compactness, high gear ratios and often in Harmonic Drives absolute zero play..
How do Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes work?
Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes use a unique operating principle with three core components: the Wave Generator, the Flexspline, and the Circular Spline. The elliptical Wave Generator deforms the thin-walled Flexspline, whose outer teeth mesh with the inner teeth of the Circular Spline, creating a precise relative motion and high gearing.
In which industries are HD Gear Boxes typically used?
HD Gear Boxes are used in robotics and automation, the aerospace, the medical technology as well as in the food and pharmaceutical industry, where ATEK’s Hygienic Design variants are particularly in demand.
What distinguishes ATEK’s Hygienic Design HD Gear Boxes (e.g., HDV/HDVS series)?
ATEK’s Hygienic Design HD Gear Boxes are made of stainless steel with a surface roughness of Ra ≤ 0.8 µm, use food-safe NOTOX lubrication and are designed to be easy to clean and minimize adhesion, ideal for hygiene-sensitive areas.
What is the difference between Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes and Cycloidal Gear Boxes?
Cycloidal Gear Boxes often offer a higher efficiency (approx. 95%), while Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes are typically more compact, lighter and known for their high precision and zero play. The choice depends on the specific application requirements.
When should I prefer an HD Gear Box to a standard Gear Box?
An HD Gear Box is preferred when the highest precision, minimal torsional play (zero play), a very high gear ratio in the smallest space or special hygiene requirements (for Hygienic Design variants) are demanded.
What support does ATEK provide in selecting and implementing HD Gear Boxes?
ATEK offers comprehensive technical consulting, support in the design and optimization of drives as well as the development of customized special solutions, to find the optimal gear solution for your application.
How long is the typical lifespan of HD Gear Boxes?
The lifespan of HD Gear Boxes, especially Harmonic Drive types, can depend on application and design well over 15,000 operating hours often exceeding more than 20,000 hours is achieved.
HD Gear Boxes, including Harmonic Drive and Hygienic Design variants, offer outstanding precision, extreme compactness and high gear ratios, with Hygienic Design versions able to shorten cleaning cycles by up to 20% can.
ATEK specializes in custom HD solutions, particularly Hygienic Design Gear Boxes made of stainless steel (Ra ≤ 0.8 µm) with food-safe lubrication, which ensures maximum hygiene and product safety in sensitive industries.
The operating principle of Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes allows for often zero play operation and high torsional stiffness, which can lead to a positioning accuracy of under 30 arc seconds and a long lifespan of over 15,000 hours .Learn everything about HD Gear Boxes: From Hygienic Design for sensitive industries to Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes for the highest precision. Find the optimal solution for your individual requirements!
Are you looking for gear solutions that combine the highest performance, precision, and hygiene? HD Gear Boxes offer innovative technologies for demanding applications. Contact us at ATEK Drive Solutions, to find the perfect solution for your needs.
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Introduction to HD Gear Boxes: Precision and versatility
HD Gear Boxes: Performance and hygiene for drive technology
HD Gear Boxes (Harmonic Drive / Hygienic Design) provide precision and durability for diverse industry requirements. ATEK Drive Solutions GmbH supports you with advanced HD technology to optimize your drive systems and achieve your production goals.
What fundamentally distinguishes HD Gear Boxes ?
This type of precision gear boxes, especially the Harmonic Drive design, offers high accuracy in a small space. Its unique operating principle often enables a zero play power transmission, which, for example, ensures positioning accuracies of under 30 arc seconds in robotics.
What role does ATEK play in the area of Well Gear Boxes?
ATEK also develops customized HD solutions such as Hygienic Design Gear Boxes, specifically tailored to the needs of the food and pharmaceutical industries (NOTOX, stainless steel). These special gear boxes can shorten cleaning cycles by up to 20%.
The range of HD technology
The technology of HD Gear Boxes includes both classic Harmonic Drive Well Gear Boxes and various special versions, including heavy-duty variants, Hygienic Design models, and ATEK’s own HD Gear Box series.. The choice of type is crucial for performance; Harmonic Drives, for example, achieve single-stage ratios of up to 320:1.Functionality and technical details of Harmonic Drive Gear Boxes
The harmonic principle of elastic deformation
Harmonic Drive Well Gear Boxes utilizes the targeted deformation of the Flexspline, a thin-walled steel cylinder. Its outer teeth mesh precisely with the rigid Circular Spline. This allows for high, compact gear ratios, where often about 30% of the teeth are engaged simultaneously, optimizing load distribution.
- Utilize the principle of elastic deformation of the Flexspline for the drive.
- Enable high, compact gear ratios through the engagement of Flexspline and Circular Spline.
- Optimized load distribution as often about 30% of the teeth are engaged simultaneously.
- Generation of high ratios (e.g., 50:1 to 320:1 single-stage) through low tooth count difference.
- The Wave Generator as the heart deforms the Flexspline and drives the movement.
- Ensures correct deformation and long lifespan (>15,000 h) through precise shaping.
Tooth count difference and its impact on the ratio
A small difference in tooth count (often only two teeth) between the Flexspline and Circular Spline is the key to the high ratio of these drive components.For each rotation of the Wave Generator, a relative motion occurs corresponding to this difference, which enables fine motion resolutions and impressive ratios (typically 50:1 to 320:1, single-stage).
The Wave Generator as the heart
The Wave Generator, consisting of an elliptical steel disk and a special ball bearing, deforms the Flexspline. The precise deformability of the outer bearing ring is crucial here. Precise shaping ensures the correct deformation and function of the Harmonic Drive Gear Box over a long lifespan of more than 15,000 hours.Application areas of HD Gear Boxes: From robotics to food technology
Precision in robotics and automation
In robotics and automation, where the highest precision is required for axis drives, Harmonic Drive drives are particularly advantageous. Their compactness and low weight are often decisive factors; over 70% of manufacturers of articulated robots use these precision gear boxes for the joints.
Special applications in aerospace and medical technology
Their outstanding reliability and precision make them suitable HD Gear Boxes for demanding applications in aerospace and medical technology, such as in surgical robots. The zero play of these Well Gear Boxes is an important advantage, such as in maintenance-free alignment systems for satellites.
ATEK’s focus: HD Gear Boxes for demanding industries
ATEK places a special focus on HD Gear Boxes industries with high demands, such as the food and pharmaceutical industry, where hygiene is of critical importance. Special HD Gear Boxes in Hygienic Design made of stainless steel are easy to clean, enable protection classes up to IP69K and contribute to reducing downtime.ATEK special: Hygienic Design HD Gear Boxes for the highest demands
Materials and design for maximum hygiene
In ATEK’s HDV and HDVS series, high-quality stainless steel is used for all external components. The low surface roughness of Ra ≤ 0.8 µm minimizes residues of product remnants or microorganisms, facilitates cleaning and ensures high resistance to aggressive cleaning and disinfecting agents.
- Use of stainless steel and smooth surfaces (Ra ≤ 0.8 µm) to minimize adhesion and enable easy cleaning.
- Structural details such as special shaft seals and avoidance of dead spaces for cleanroom suitability.
- ATEK’s stainless steel gear boxes are specially designed for use in hygiene-sensitive areas such as cleanroom applications. Use of food-safe NOTOX lubrication (NSF H1) to ensure product safety.
- Verwendung von lebensmittelechter NOTOX-Schmierung (NSF H1) zur Sicherung der Produktsicherheit.
- Compliance with relevant certifications for the food and medical sectors.
Structural details for cleanroom suitability.
Special shaft seals, often provided with an additional dust lip, and housing designs without disruptive external holes are important features of this hygienic drives. The design consistently avoids dead spaces, where product residues or microorganisms could accumulate. ATEK’s stainless steel gear boxes are therefore excellently suitable for the cleanroom applications..
food-safe lubrication and certifications
The Hygienic Design HD Gear Boxes from ATEK use a NOTOX lubrication (NSF H1 registered) as standard. This ensures product safety even with occasional, unforeseen contact with food. These special gearboxes meet the strict requirements of the food and medical sectors and have corresponding certifications.HD gearboxes compared: The right choice for your application
Harmonic Drive vs. Cycloidal gearboxes: An efficiency comparison
Cycloidal gearboxes, such as those offered by Nabtesco, often have higher efficiency levels (about 95%) than typical Harmonic Drive gearboxes (about 85%). However, Harmonic Drives are usually more compact and lighter; Cycloidal gearboxes can have a larger form factor at comparable performance.
Distinction from standard gearboxes: When is a HD Gear Boxes sensible?
In contrast to standard bevel gearboxes, which primarily serve to redirect power, Harmonic Drive Well Gear Boxes offers an unbeatable combination of high precision and large gear reduction in the smallest footprint. The specific application is critical for the choice of an HD gearbox, especially when minimal backlash and maximum compactness are required (e.g., in a welding robot arm with a positioning accuracy of ±0.05 mm).
Selection criteria for your precision gear boxes
Important criteria for selection are: required ratio, torque, required precision, available installation space, and environmental conditions. A careful application analysis is essential. ATEK will competently support you in designing the suitable Harmonic Drive or Hygienic Design solutions, to ensure optimal performance and a long service life (often over 20,000 hours).Conclusion and outlook: Shaping the future with precision HD gearboxes
Summary of the core advantages
HD Gear Boxes, whether as a classic Harmonic Drive variant or in a special Hygienic Design version, uniquely combine high ratios, outstanding precision, and extreme compactness. These properties enable innovative solutions in particularly demanding applications, such as in the ongoing miniaturization in medical technology.
ATEK as your partner for drive solutions
ATEK Drive Solutions GmbH, as an experienced system provider for complete drive trains, combines many years of experience with continuous innovation. ATEK delivers customized HD gearboxes and others drive components., supported by a large inventory of around 500,000 parts for quick availability.
The future of HD Gear Boxes technology
Future developments in the field of Well Gear Boxes aim for even higher power densities, improved energy efficiency, and the integration of smarter functions. The adaptability to changing market demands is crucial. HD Gear Boxes, including the food-compliant gearboxes from ATEK will continue to be a key technology in many high-tech sectors.
