TE News: TE, HDS Collaborate to Develop a New Series of HarmonicDrive®

To meet the rapidly growing demand for collaborative robots across various industries, TE Connectivity (TE) and Harmonic Drive Systems Inc. (HDS) have joined forces to develop a new series of  HarmonicDrive® gears equipped with a safety torque sensor that contributes to improving operational safety.  

HarmonicDrive® gears are currently an essential component of automation equipment, robotics and aerospace applications, playing a crucial role as an indispensable mechanical transmission device for today’s society. The combination of TE’s high-performance safety torque sensor and HDS’s high-precision control speed reducer enables HarmonicDrive® gears to exceed the customers’ expectations by delivering high-precision torque sensing, lightweight design, compactness and a spacious hollow structure.
 

Through the collaboration between TE and HDS, high reliability and safety can be achieved for collaborative robots as a result of the following key features:•

• The structure is designed to reduce the cross load from being applied on the safety torque sensor.
• The safety torque sensor incorporates the trusted MICROFUSED sensing technology known for its reproducibility, long-term stability and reliability. Optimized for collaborative robots, the sensor also exhibits low susceptibility to crosstalk.
• The safety torque sensor complies with the new level of safety requirements specified in ISO13849 Category 3 PLd. Meanwhile, this module is also certified at the component level, simplifying the process of obtaining safety certification.
• Offering customizable mechanical interfaces, the sensor can be effortlessly tailored to meet specific customer application needs, which significantly reduces development time and facilitates the incorporation of high precision into the system.
  
  

“The surging demand for collaborative robots makes safe operations around humans a must,” said John Tuley, global strategic customers director of TE Sensors. “By delivering heightened accuracy and speed, TE’s Safety Torque Sensors provide functional safety, paving the way for the next generation of human-robot collaboration.”

Harmonic Drive Systems Inc. is committed to the unwavering mission of contributing to innovation in society through motion control technology. As a collective of technology and skills that provide total motion control, it aims to offer products that enable the movements the customers are seeking and continue to provide premium and uniquely designed products such as reducers, as well as actuators combined with motors and sensors.