Envalior, SentiMotion and Frencken Group have developed a new gearbox concept for robot arms based on advanced engineering plastic. Unlike previous designs based on metal or plastic, it enables the entry into the cost-effective large-scale production of lightweight and energy-efficient robots. The development partners are presenting the new concept to the general public for the first time at the automatica robotics trade fair in Munich, Germany.
The concept named SMFdrives is based on components made of Stanyl PA46 from Envalior. Thanks to polyamide 46 and a weight-optimized design, the gearboxes weigh approximately half as much as their metal counterparts. Production costs are around 50% lower because the gear parts can be manufactured economically in large quantities using precision injection molding. The gearboxes are highly durable and very wear resistant. They meet all the mechanical requirements for safe and reliable operation over the entire service life of the robots.
The hidden breakthrough driving the robotics revolution
The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is causing a stir around the world. However, one thing is often overlooked: Even the most intelligent robots still have to rely on physical hardware - especially actuators. Until now, the high overall cost of robotic systems has been a major hurdle to their widespread acceptance, in addition to their weight. The new ultra-light plastic gears have the potential to change this. They lower the cost of these robots towards the 10,000 dollar mark, opening the door to the mass market. “This fusion of AI with the highest level of engineering marks the “ChatGPT moment” in robotics - a leap towards physical AI,” explained Dr. Tamim Sidiki, Segment Innovation Manager Mobility at Envalior.
Go-ahead for major projects with robot manufacturers
“SMFdrives is ready for series production. The development partners now want to enter into large-scale projects together with robot manufacturers and their suppliers. The initial goal is the mass production of humanoid and service robots for domestic use, retail, department store logistics and the patient care sector, for example. We are also working on optimizing the new generation of gearboxes for demanding industrial robotics applications,” explained Steffen Breuninger, Managing Director of SentiMotion GmbH, an engineering service provider that designs highly efficient and universal drive technology with maximum power density.
Reliable global supply for robot manufacturers
Frencken Group, a global provider of integrated technology solutions for the automotive, healthcare, industrial and aerospace sectors, among others, is acting as the industrial partner for the mass production of the gearboxes and associated plastic parts in the joint project.
“We have the processing expertise to precisely manufacture the carefully designed gear components, which have a high level of detail and their own special gearing, with tight tolerances in large quantities by injection molding. With our experience in automation technology, we can produce the gears efficiently and reliably supply robot manufacturers over short distances thanks to our global footprint,” said Ron Borger, Managing Director of the Frencken IMS division for the region ESEA.
Plastic gearboxes do not require any braking systems
A further advantage of SMFdrives is that no separate braking systems are required in the gearboxes to prevent unwanted backdrive. This is due to an intrinsic backdrive lock that is integrated into the gearbox design. Thus, the weight of the gearboxes and the total number of parts required for their assembly are reduced. The elimination of the brake systems also has a noticeable effect on the overall costs for the robots and their weight. Another advantage of the concept is that the plastic gearboxes are compatible with the form factors of conventional robot gearboxes. They can be easily integrated into the installation spaces of existing robot concepts that are intended for metal gears.
