Why are industrial robots so powerful, capable of achieving high precision, flexibility, and reliability? This depends on the structure of the robot. Industrial robots consist of three main parts: the body structure, the drive system, and the control system. Each part requires precise design to support the precise movement of the industrial robot.
In the drive system of a robot, the drive mainly refers to the driving device that drives the mechanical system to move. It is the power system of the robot, equivalent to the cardiovascular system of a human, and generally consists of two parts: the drive device and the transmission mechanism. The robot drive structure consists of a motor and a reducer. The motor uses an absolute servo motor, and the reducer has two types: RV reducer and harmonic reducer. The motor and reducer are generally connected using a reducer shaft or a wave generator.
Harmonic reducers and RV reducers are widely used precision reducers in the field of high-precision transmission. A reducer is an intermediate mechanism that connects the power source and the actuator, and has the function of matching speed and transmitting torque. It can be divided into general transmission reducers and precision reducers. Precision reducers have high manufacturing requirements and technical difficulties, with advantages such as high precision, reliability, and stability, and are applied in high-end fields such as robots and CNC machine tools. With the rapid development of industrial robots, high-end CNC machine tools, etc., harmonic reducers and RV reducers have become widely used precision reducers in the field of high-precision transmission.
The two types of precision reducers are applicable in different fields, and due to differences in transmission principles, structures, and other technical characteristics, they each have their own focus and complement each other in downstream application areas.
1. Harmonic Drive:
A harmonic reducer is a precision transmission device with characteristics such as small size, high transmission ratio, and high precision. It adopts the principle of flexible gear transmission and achieves deceleration through harmonic generators and flexible gear pairs. The transmission ratio of harmonic reducers is usually 1:100 or higher, which can achieve high-precision motion control. It is mainly used in light load positions such as the forearm, wrist, or hand of robots, and is suitable for fields such as collaborative robots and service robots.
2. RV gearbox (Cyclic Drive):
The RV reducer adopts the principle of cyclic gear transmission, which achieves the deceleration effect through cycloidal gears and pin shafts. It has the characteristics of simple structure, high reliability, and strong load-bearing capacity. RV reducers are commonly used in heavy-duty positions such as the base, boom, and shoulders of multi-joint robots, and can withstand large torques and loads.
In the process of robot operation, whether it is a four-axis robot or a six-axis robot, the reducer plays a key role in its drive system. It connects the power source (servo motor) and the actuator (joint axis), and achieves precise motion of the robot by matching speed and transmitting torque. High precision reducers are crucial transmission devices for industrial robots, ensuring their high precision, flexibility, and reliability. Their design and manufacturing requirements are high and technically difficult, but they can meet the precise motion needs of industrial robots in modern intelligent manufacturing and provide continuous power support.
With the continuous advancement and innovation of technology, industrial robots will continue to develop, providing sustained power for intelligent manufacturing in modern enterprises, helping them achieve higher levels of production efficiency, quality control, and environmentally friendly production, and promoting the industrial sector towards a more intelligent, green, and sustainable future.