Its compact build makes the LynxDrive range ideal for applications in the broadcast, military, aerospace, and oil and gas industries, enhancing its use for precise positioning actuation for high performance machinery.
The CHA’s hollow shaft feature enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to pass power supply cables, shafts or laser beams directly through the servo actuator, considerably reducing development costs and assembly time.
“The key advantage of our gearing systems is the zero backlash function. The problem with competing technologies is that even a very small amount of backlash on the gear can create significant errors at the output,” explained Graham Mackrell, managing director of Harmonic Drive UK.
“Our strain wave gearing, which is very different from other gear systems, consists of only three basic elements. Our Wave Generator uses a ball bearing deformed into an ellipse, which creates a wave as it turns.
“The Flexspline, which fits over the Wave Generator is flexible and takes on the elliptical shape as it moves. The third element of the gear, the Circular Spline is a rigid ring with internally cut teeth. Crucially there are two teeth more than on the Flexspline.
“If you look at the Flexspline as an unconstrained cylinder it appears perfectly cylindrical. But if you look at the cross section of the major axis of the ellipse you see a coning angle, which allows the preload of the gear.
“So, as you assemble the elements, the teeth engage. Instead of rolling, the teeth withdraw, advance and re-engage a single tooth at a time for each revolution of the gear.
“Typically the Circular Spline is rigidly mounted and attached to a servo motor – providing genuine zero backlash for the life of the unit,” concluded Mackrell.
Also included in Harmonic Drive’s exhibition will be the versatile HFUC series component sets, the new, smaller FHA Mini range of actuators, and the new lightweight Torque Drive series.
The Engineering Design Show (Oct 22-23) will be held at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena