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Drive technology for Robotics

René Edelbusch

Industry Manager Automation

T: +495971 798-539 E: r.edelbusch@ktr.com

Solely in 2021 more than 500,000 new robots were installed worldwide. In total about 3.4 million (industrial) robots are in operation. The common types on the market are gantry, scara, delta and six-axis robots. 

The (servo) couplings used here must be backlash-free, for instance to allow for precise and repeatable positioning with reversing operation of the robot axes. Be-sides, a long service life with a minimum of maintenance effort is requested. This is definitely a challenge: If the robot operates with a clock rate (common practice) of six seconds, the coupling (with 24/7 operation) performed not less than one million motion cycles within 10 weeks only transmitting the torque with each mo-tion and offsetting the displacements in the robot axis.

KTR provides suitable shaft couplings for all types of robots. Here the backlash-free metal bellow-type coupling TOOLFLEX is most frequently used. Its metal bellow ensures optimum compensation of axial, radial and angular displacements, while the geometric coupling shape makes sure high torsional stiffness and a low mass moment of inertia. These are the best preconditions for precise positioning with high dynamics.

ROTEX GS shaft couplings ensure synchronous operation of handling units in gantry robots and backlash-free KTR miniature couplings are used in the axes of tiny robots.