Movement expertise firm Schaeffler is increasing its humanoid robotics product portfolio and bringing fashioned pressure wave gearboxes to market.
Pressure wave gearboxes are key elements in actuators which make up round half of the entire prices of producing a humanoid.
Pressure wave gearboxes can exactly transmit movement with a excessive torque capability by using a excessive gear discount ratio in extraordinarily compact areas.
In addition they provide excessive accuracy and stiffness, thus satisfying the central necessities of humanoid robotic joints.
The manufacturing methodology at the moment established available in the market for pressure wave gearboxes is precision machining.
Nevertheless, it’s time-consuming, capital-intensive and will likely be a significant bottleneck within the scaling of humanoid robots in coming years.
Utilizing an progressive forming expertise, Schaeffler now gives a producing methodology for the pressure wave gearbox with a complete new stage of effectivity by manufacturing key elements in seconds as an alternative of minutes, thereby paving the way in which for scaling humanoid robotic element manufacturing to excessive volumes.
On the identical time, it cuts key element manufacturing prices by greater than 25 % and materials consumption by greater than 75 %.
Schaeffler has efficiently concluded the validation testing of the fashioned pressure wave gearboxes and thereby laid the muse for the beginning of mass manufacturing in 2027. Manufacturing will begin in Germany and be successively rolled out to different areas.
Schaeffler has been accumulating know-how within the manufacturing of pressure wave gearboxes for the automotive sector utilizing forming for a few years. The corporate has already equipped greater than 2 million fashioned pressure wave gearboxes to all main automotive markets on the planet over the last ten years.
Now Schaeffler has efficiently transferred this manufacturing experience to the worldwide progress area of humanoid robotics.
David Kehr, president of humanoid robotics at Schaeffler, says: “Schaeffler will take a number one function available in the market for humanoid robots.
“We’re deploying humanoids alongside our whole world worth chain and due to this fact have first-hand data of the necessities of this expertise and may develop key elements based mostly on our know-how.
“Combining our a long time of producing expertise together with our automotive DNA, we will create options geared towards high quality, efficiency, and scalability. The fashioned pressure wave gearbox is one other instance of how we’re readying key robotic elements for industrial high-volume mass manufacturing.”
Modern forming expertise for pressure wave gearboxes
Schaeffler has developed a novel forming course of for humanoid robotic pressure wave gearboxes based mostly on its progressive manufacturing applied sciences.
In contrast to standard machining, wherein high-precision gear geometries are created via materials elimination, this forming course of will get the element into the specified geometrical form in seconds via using excessive urgent forces.
The fashioned pressure wave gearboxes obtain comparable torques and efficiencies to these achieved by conventionally manufactured elements.
The tactic gives a excessive dimensional accuracy, reduces materials consumption, and on the identical time improves course of stability.
With this strategy, Schaeffler has created a producing course of that unites precision, effectivity, and industrial scalability.
It kinds the technological foundation for the manufacturing of those key elements with a high-quality stage and significantly improved manufacturing effectivity.
