Nidec Drive Technology develops Smart-FLEXWAVE, a precision reducer with built-in sensors

By OEM Update Editorial November 16, 2023 4:04 pm

Nidec Drive Technology Corporation unveils Smart-FLEXWAVE, a groundbreaking precision reducer for robots and machine tools, integrating torque, temperature, and angle sensors to enhance efficiency, reduce size, and enable remote monitoring.

Nidec Drive Technology Corporation, a member of Nidec Corporation’s group companies has developed Smart-FLEXWAVE, the world-first product that combines FLEXWAVE, an existing precision control reducer for robots and machine tools, with built-in torque, temperature, and angle sensors.

FLEXWAVE, the currently available precision reducer with a wave gear mechanism, is used chiefly in industrial robots’ joints for its ability to achieve a high reduction ratio with a single axis, among other features such as light weight, compact size, high rotation accuracy, and super-low backlash. The Smart₋FLEXWAVE, the newly developed reducer that combines torque, temperature, and angle sensors in its mechanism, can detect output torque, temperature inside a reducer, and input axis angle while maintaining an existing reducer’s space. This feature enables Smart₋FLEXWAVE to contribute to making smaller and lighter collaborative robots, detect a robot crashing into an obstacle, and monitor screw tightening torque, overheat, stopping place, etc., all remotely via a network, boosting productivity.

This new reducer of the series will be exhibited at International Robot Exhibition (iREX) 2023 to be held at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) from November 29 – December 02, 2023 (The Company’s booth will be E2-27 of Hall East 1-3).

The Company stays committed to providing a variety of fields with its high-efficiency industrial machines based on its reducer- and continuously variable transmission-based knowhow to contribute to productivity enhancement and automation.