In the "realm" of reducers, harmonic reducers do not solely "rule"; they showcase their unique capabilities alongside RV reducers, ordinary reducers, etc., playing distinct roles in different application scenarios. This article will take a look at a "sword fight on Mount Hua" among reducers to see how harmonic reducers fare in this competition.
In the field of industrial robots, RV reducers are strong competitors to harmonic reducers. RV reducers usually consist of a front-stage planetary gear reducer and a rear-stage cycloidal pinwheel reducer. They possess high fatigue strength, rigidity, and lifespan, strong impact resistance, and smooth transmission.
They perform excellently in robot joints that need to withstand high torque and heavy loads, such as the waist and legs of industrial robots. For instance, in the automotive manufacturing production line, the joints of industrial robots responsible for handling large automobile parts are mostly equipped with RV reducers, enabling stable load bearing and transport, thus ensuring the efficient operation of the production process.
However, harmonic reducers also have their own "unique skills." Compared to RV reducers, harmonic reducers are smaller in size and lighter in weight, effectively reducing the overall weight of the robot and enhancing its movement flexibility. With higher transmission precision, in scenarios requiring extremely high precision, such as precision assembly robots in electronic chip manufacturing, harmonic reducers can achieve sub-millimeter level positioning accuracy, ensuring the precise installation of chips, something that RV reducers find challenging.
Additionally, harmonic reducers have a large single-stage transmission ratio, a simple and compact structure, and relatively low costs, showing clear advantages in some light-load robot applications where space is at a premium.
Ordinary reducers are a widely used type of reducer. They have relatively simple structures and low manufacturing costs, commonly seen in industrial fields with low precision and load requirements, such as ordinary conveyor belts, small motors, and other equipment. The transmission precision of ordinary reducers is relatively low, and during the transmission process, errors can easily occur due to gear clearance, friction, and other factors, making it impossible to meet the high-precision movement requirements of robots.
Moreover, ordinary reducers are relatively large and heavy, which imposes significant constraints on installation and layout within the limited space of robots. Their transmission efficiency is also relatively low, leading to significant energy losses during energy conversion and increasing operating costs.
In contrast, harmonic reducers show obvious advantages over ordinary reducers in terms of precision, size and weight, and transmission efficiency. The high-precision transmission characteristics of harmonic reducers allow robots to achieve more precise motion control, greatly improving the quality and efficiency of their work. Their compact and lightweight structure makes robot design more flexible, able to adapt to various complex working environments. High transmission efficiency means lower energy consumption, more in line with modern industry’s requirements for energy conservation and environmental protection.
In the field of robotics, which pursues high precision, high flexibility, and high efficiency, harmonic reducers quickly occupy an important position with their advantages, becoming exemplary key components in robots.
In summary, harmonic reducers, RV reducers, and ordinary reducers each have their merits. With advantages like high precision, small size, and high transmission ratio, harmonic reducers play an irreplaceable role in robots, especially those with light loads and high precision requirements. RV reducers showcase strong capabilities in heavy load and high torque applications. Although ordinary reducers do not match the other two in certain performances, their low cost grants them wide applications in scenarios with low-performance requirements. In their respective domains, they collectively advance the development and progress of mechanical transmission technology.
