Driving forward

The new CanisDrive range of compact hollow shaft servo actuators is of lightweight and condensed design. The range benefits from newly developed high capacity precision drive bearings, which allows direct mounting of the external load without the need for additional bearings or support. This keeps size to a minimum while retaining the high precision of the gear. 

The company says CanisDrive marks the first instance of CobaltLine gears being used in a servo actuator. CobaltLine gears are designed to deliver repeatable high peak torques with zero backlash and lifetime precision. Harmonic Drive says use of these gears provides elevated levels of torque density and durability, with 30% higher maximum torque than standard actuators.

“June 2016 will mark the UK’s first national Robotics Week as part of the nation’s push to increase innovation and the uptake of robotics,” said Graham Mackrell, managing Director of Harmonic Drive UK. “We’re also starting to see drive from the Government’s RAS 2020 initiative to boost the robotics and autonomous systems sector in the UK and the £400 million investment in innovation. This investment will see an upswing in things like collaborative robot technology as well as more advanced medical robots.

“Collaborative robots are designed to work alongside the human workforce, and to ensure they meet evolving International Standards Organisation (ISO) criteria as well as being responsive enough to react should they cross paths with a person. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to ensure the drives and gears they choose can perform reliably.

“High precision gears, such as those manufactured by Harmonic Drive, deliver highly accurate movements that can be repeated again and again with perfect precision. This level of accuracy and repeatability will help robot OEMs continue to innovate with peace of mind.”

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