Industry professionals in the field of industrial robotics are well aware of one of the three core components of industrial robots — the harmonic reducer. This crucial component, sometimes no larger than a palm, consists primarily of four basic parts: the wave generator, flexible gear, flexible bearing, and rigid gear. It is a type of gear transmission that relies on the wave generator fitted with a flexible bearing to cause controlled elastic deformation of the flexible gear, which then meshes with the rigid gear to transmit motion and power.
With the development of Industry 4.0, many traditional manufacturing factories have begun transforming into smart factories. Industrial robots are now widely used in enterprises, not only saving labor but also effectively increasing work efficiency, reducing production costs, and improving product quality and output.
As a critical component of industrial robots, the demand for harmonic reducers has significantly increased with the rapid development of smart factories. Industries such as mobile phone manufacturing, semiconductors, and LCD production machinery have shown a growing need for small robots.
Key upstream components of these robots, such as robotic gearboxes, have become indispensable parts of robot joints, creating market opportunities for many gearbox development companies.
It is understood that harmonic reducers are mainly used in joint robots, and in recent years, the shipment of industrial joint robots has grown rapidly, driving a surge in demand for related gearboxes. Statistics show that in 2013, the global shipment of industrial joint robot gearboxes was 730,000 units, an increase of 6% year-on-year. In 2014, the shipment reached 820,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 12%. By the end of 2015, the number of industrial robots in use globally reached 1.6 million units. Asia, the largest market for industrial robots, saw a growth rate of 17% in the Chinese market alone.
The application of industrial robot harmonic reducers needs to adapt to various industrial fields, which requires them to possess highly specialized characteristics and the ability to be customized for different application areas.
China harmonic reducers have certain advantages compared to their imported counterparts. With the improvement of production technology, the quality of domestic harmonic reducers is assured, and they are competitively priced. Their domestication is expected to change the market situation, which has long been dominated by foreign companies and in urgent need of high-precision products. With the establishment of several brand enterprises in China, the competitiveness of China harmonic reducers in the international market is expected to grow stronger, expanding both domestic and international markets.
