How the Archimedes Drive will Accelerate the Mass Production of Industrial Robots
With population aging and the urge to replace physically draining tasks with robots, the question is how to face the need of the market, when robots are composed of complicated component which production can take up to a year. The Archimedes Drive, composed of hollow cylinders is a solution to this challenge and here is why:
1 – Simplified Design Components:
Current high-precision speed reducer designs often consist of numerous small, intricate gears. The smaller the required backlash, the more tedious the manufacturing process. Gear accuracy is directly related to the costs of manufacture. Strain Wave Gears, for example, contain a flexible metal core component called the Flexspline, which is truly a headache for scalable production processes. When a premium Strain Wave Gear finally is manufactured and assembled, the quality control starts. Akira Nagai, President of Harmonic Drive Systems stated about the quality protocol of Harmonic Drive: “…our engineers, almost closing their eyes, feel the difference [….] It takes about 20 years for an engineer to be qualified to this level”
The nature of this complex design leads to high lead times and insufficient numbers to satisfy demand. “According to a supply-chain bottleneck joke doing the rounds in the factory automation industry, it is now quicker to gestate a baby than secure a reduction gear from Harmonic Drive Systems.” –Financial Times.
This results in high lead times, longer downtimes, and thus higher prices and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for industrial robots.
2 – Leveraging Existing Bearing Technology:
3 – Cost Efficiency, Scalability, and Availability:
Making gears is a costly process for several reasons. One of those is that the most complex and costly tools used for metal cutting are those used for cutting teeth—particularly form cutters. But also recent technologies used as Laser beam melting (LBM) and other advanced manufacturing processes face challenges in balancing cost and energy efficiency.
Efficient mass production will make the drive more available and thus better accessible for robot manufacturers. Additionally, simpler components can be produced in larger quantities with greater consistency.
Conclusion:
The Archimedes Drive offers a solution to the need of mass-producing robots with its simplified design, leveraging existing bearing technology, and cost-effective production methods. By replacing intricate gears with hollow cylinders, this drive promises to streamline manufacturing, reduce lead times, and make industrial robots more affordable and accessible, addressing the growing market demand driven by an ageing population and the need for automation.
Supporting articles: