120 % torque, 140 % service life, same size

Nabtesco is expanding its wave gear portfolio. The new short gear units deliver 120% torque and 140% service life in the same dimensions – setting a new benchmark for compact wave gear units. This creates design freedom for more compact axes and joints, higher dynamics, and more efficient robotics and automation systems.

Conventional short wave gear units are 65% shorter than standard designs – making them an ideal solution for compact axes and joints, for example, in exoskeletons, humanoid robots, and cobots. However, the short design comes with limitations, as torque capacity and service life are significantly reduced. With the new short gear unit technology, Nabtesco is breaking through previous limitations and opening up entirely new possibilities for robotics and automation in terms of compactness, efficiency, availability, and productivity.

Significant Performance Increase

The new short gearboxes deliver 120% torque and 140% service life (10,000 h instead of the market standard 7,000 h) in the same dimensions – compared to conventional short shaft gearboxes. The higher rated torque also has a positive effect on the repeatable peak torque, acceleration torque, and limit torques for emergency stop, ratcheting, buckling, and collision, increasing them by approximately 20%. The higher power density opens up new possibilities for designers: smaller dimensions, lighter connection designs, and material and cost savings. At the same time, the longer service life improves machine availability and reduces downtime.

Ideal Solution for Limited Axial Installation Length

The new short gearboxes demonstrate their strengths wherever every millimeter of axial installation space counts and high power density is required. Key applications include wearables such as exoskeletons and compact robot joints for humanoid robots and cobots, especially in the end axes. Key application areas also include medical technology systems such as surgical robots, dental milling machines, and detector and optic adjustments in imaging systems. Industrial robots, positioning and rotary axes, machine tools, and watchmaking also benefit from the compact wave gears.

Hollow shaft gears for torques from 4.5 to 115 Nm

These short gears cover a torque range from 4.5 to 115 Nm and are available as hat-type gears (HTG) and cup-type gears (CTG). They feature a hollow shaft and offer ample space to route supply lines, cables, and hoses through the interior of the gear unit. This allows for space-saving media routing. The wave gears can also be individually designed, with performance, geometry, material, and interfaces precisely tailored to the specific application, including functional, component, and system integration if required. Manufacturing takes place at Ovalo GmbH in Limburg (Lahn), Germany, according to automotive standards (IATF certification 16949).

New Benchmark for Compact Wave Gearboxes

120 % torque and 140 % service life in the same size: Nabtesco's achievement represents a true technological leap for compact wave gearboxes. These best-in-class gearboxes optimally combine maximum torque density, precision, and compactness. They mark the next evolutionary stage in robotics and automation, creating new possibilities for more compact designs, higher dynamics, and more efficient systems. This is drive technology without compromise.