Smart Transmissions for Digital Transformation

Nabtesco, a transmission specialist, understands the challenges and opportunities in modern industry and offers unique solutions for digital transformation.

In today’s age of digitalization, the successful integration of hardware and software is increasingly becoming a decisive competitive factor. Intelligent components, smart sensors, digitally networked systems, and automated production processes dominate innovation and set the course for success. No digitalization, no future.

“Digital transformation is one of the central challenges of our time. Anyone who falls behind here will, sooner or later, be left behind. Modern IIoT technologies and data-driven solutions help companies optimize their processes and make them future-ready,” says Daniel Obladen, Director of Sales & Marketing at Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH, emphasizing: “Precision gearboxes such as the cycloidal and helical gearboxes from Nabtesco Precision Europe make a valuable contribution. They are an essential component in the drivetrains of robots and production machines and, in digital automation environments, play a key role in increasing productivity and efficiency, improving machine and plant availability, reducing downtime, and cutting costs.”

Digitalization of Gearboxes

Nabtesco, one of the leading specialists in precision gearboxes and robot gearboxes, brings together a unique combination of outstanding gearbox expertise, innovative electronics and software development, many years of experience, and mechatronic system expertise within its corporate family.

This concentrated expertise forms the basis for new innovations and forward-looking solutions. One of the current focal points is the digitalization of gearboxes. Hybridization, digital twin technology, machine learning, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) are the key terms.

Data Analysis

Data is the fuel of digital transformation and opens the door to new possibilities such as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. Operational and process parameters can be collected directly via physical sensors or indirectly via virtual sensors.

The real challenge lies in analyzing and processing the data. Experience, expertise, and an understanding of application-specific characteristics are indispensable for this, as high-quality underlying data and a well-founded, detailed, and high-quality evaluation are of immense importance for the quality of the results.

According to Nabtesco Precision Europe, the company is a decisive step ahead in this area. Whether digital gear models, sensor-equipped shaft gearboxes, or hybrid cycloidal gearboxes: The solutions from this technology leader combine know-how and expertise gained over more than 35 years and provide compelling answers to current challenges.

Without requiring additional space

The digital shaft gearbox—developed and manufactured in Limburg an der Lahn at the Ovalo GmbH facility—integrates smart sensor technology while maintaining the same dimensions as a standard gearbox, thereby offering a space-saving solution for intelligent automation. This is unique on the market and a major advantage for users. Sensors measure torque, temperature, and vibration. Combined with practical experience, this allows for reliable assessments of the gearbox’s condition.

The integrated Electronic Evaluation Unit (EEU) analyzes the data and sends it directly via the bus system to the higher-level control system. The operator receives recommendations for action and can respond early to changing parameters and take appropriate measures. “With our sensor-equipped shaft gearbox, we are expanding our range of digital solutions and leading drive technology into the future. Our plug-and-play product combines high-precision, backlash-free technology with smart sensors and artificial intelligence—all without any change in size. In doing so, it solves key challenges for our customers and contributes to increased efficiency, performance optimization, resource conservation, and greater cost-effectiveness,” says Daniel Obladen, summarizing the benefits.

Cycloidal Gearboxes and the Digital Gearbox Twin

Nabtesco is taking a different and innovative approach to cycloidal gearboxes. As the first gearbox manufacturer in the robotics industry, the company is opening up the “black box” of its gearboxes and providing robot manufacturers with gearbox-specific data and characteristics via a Nabtesco add-on for robot control. The goal: a digital replica of the haptic gear with its relevant properties.

The digital gear twin is becoming a reality. This process utilizes values that are already available. For example, the speed and torque curves, combined with a pool of statistical data from over 35 years of gear development, allow for detailed conclusions about the gear’s condition and thus its remaining service life. “Not all data can be captured using external sensors. This applies, for example, to stiffness—and, of course, to empirical data from development. We conduct extensive testing before a transmission is launched on the market and therefore know exactly how the transmission behaves as it wears down and what impact temperature and lubricant have. All these parameters are fed into the robot’s control system,” explains Daniel Obladen.

Seize Opportunities, Realize Potential

Digitalization requires a radical shift in thinking. Technologies, products, processes—everything must be put to the test. At the same time, it opens up incredible opportunities. Whether calculating the actual service life of a gearbox, identifying a gearbox fault, or detecting overload, wear, efficiency loss, unsuitable operating points, or cases of misuse: Digital gearbox solutions make it possible to track the actual operating behavior and specific load on each individual axis of machines and robots in real time. This allows for immediate corrective action in the event of irregularities or signs of wear.

The result: reduced maintenance costs, predictable service calls, less downtime, maximized machine, plant, and robot availability, significant increases in efficiency and performance, and lower total cost of ownership. All in all, this leads to potential savings in the double-digit percentage range.

The gearbox of the future is digital

And digitalization does much more than that. It revolutionizes production processes, unlocks growth potential, and paves the way for entirely new business models, applications, and services. Gearboxes are the heart of machines and robots, making them a key cornerstone of digitalization in the manufacturing industry. They transmit and convert torque, rotational speeds, directions of rotation, and forces, and set the pace or cycle rate.

When precision is required, cycloidal and wave gearboxes from Nabtesco Precision Europe are the top choice. These technologies cover a torque range from 7 to 70,000 Nm, meet the highest standards for precision, torque capacity, and torque density, and—thanks to technological innovations—are ready for the digital age.

“To stay at the cutting edge of technology, we are continuously developing our products and services—always with an eye toward the requirements of the digital factory,” emphasizes Daniel Obladen, adding: “Currently, we are working, among other things, on how to optimize motion cycles to increase the service life of certain components or optimize energy consumption. It’s an exciting time!”

Author: Jennifer Hagmeyer, Team Lead Marketing, Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH

Images: Nabtesco Precision Europe GmbH, others from stock.adobe.com