New gears get going when the going gets tough

Louise Davis

High precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, has launched the new CobaltLine Series, a series of high torque gear component sets and gear units designed to fulfil the growing need in robotics and broadcast sectors for lightweight, compact gears that can deliver a high power output. CobaltLine also features an extended temperature range and higher peak torques compared to the standard HFUC series.

The CobaltLine Series Gears are available in six sizes, with gear ratios of 50, 80, 100, 120 and 160:1, offering repeatable peak torques from 23 to 841Nm and a power density of up to 545Nm/kg.

Harmonic Drives are favoured in robotic and broadcast applications for their high accuracy, repeatability and low weight. Robots used in applications ranging from semiconductor manufacturing and industrial automation, as well as military and defence demand very high repeatability levels. With a zero backlash design, CobaltLine achieves repeatability to within ± 6 arc seconds.

"We've designed this new range to deliver the ultimate performance in both robotics and broadcast sectors," explained Graham Mackrell, managing director of Harmonic Drive UK. "Take the broadcast industry for example. The rise of motorised motion-control in filmmaking has led to the need for pixel-perfect accuracy, something that simply can't be achieved with many heavy camera rigs that often suffer from a lack of accuracy. These camera rigs demand smooth and accurate movements as well as the ability to operate a heavy payload.

"The CobaltLine Series Component Sets are made up of only three parts and offer ultimate flexibility in design freedom to achieve the most lightweight compact solution. The CobaltLine Gear Units incorporate a high capacity output bearing, and can include a large hollow shaft at its core, making it easy to pass through power, data and optical cables without restricting rotational movement. This results in an improved product life and much greater ease of use."

The CobaltLine Series Gear Units also feature improved corrosion resistance on the output bearing for environments with high humidity levels and the range can operate in ambient temperatures between -40 and 90 degrees Celsius by careful selection of specialised lubricants optimised for harsh environments.

Recent Issues