According to the International Federation of Robotics, the market for industrial robots is growing by 15% per year worldwide—and 25% per year in China.
Nabtesco Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer of precision reduction gears for automated production equipment, with 60 percent of the global market. So for us, this booming demand means two things:
- A tremendous opportunity for growth—we are investing billions of Yen to increase our production capacity.
- A constant reminder of the need to innovate, in order to stay ahead of the competition and make sure our precision reduction gears remain the most reliable and advanced in the world.
Reduction gears are an effective way to get a high amount of torque from a small motor by reducing its rotation speed. They also support the flexible movement of machines in a wide range of industries, and are indispensable to ensuring accurate positioning. Reduction gears are used in the joints of industrial robots in many sectors, including:
- automobile manufacturing lines
- automatic tool changers for machining centers
- semiconductor production
- medical equipment production
- food manufacturing and packaging
- large antennas for communication with near-Earth satellites
Nabtesco’s precision equipment consists of a patented 2-stage cycloidal design that provides far better performance than traditional planetary reducers and other geared positioning devices. Our precision gear boxes and servo-actuators not only provide large torque, high ratios and near zero backlash, but also incorporate a set of large internal angular support bearings that provide large moment capacities and negate the need for external support devices. This simplifies end-user designs, and allows our customers to reduce their costs.
The RV line of precision reduction gears is our flagship product: compact, lightweight and durable, with outstanding rigidity and overload resistance. These qualities give our reduction gears excellent acceleration, smooth motion, low backlash, and accurate positioning precision—features that enhance robot controllability.
Today, we are working on the next generation of reduction gears—smaller, lighter, and built to enable such industry innovations as human-machine interface. In addition, of course, all of Nabtesco’s divisions are constantly searching for new advanced materials that enable miniaturization and reduce friction, increasing the efficiency and durability of our products.
Nabtesco Technology Ventures is looking to invest in or partner with engineering and software start-ups that can help Nabtesco Corporation create the next generation of its world-leading industrial automation technology. If your company has products that fit our priorities, please get in touch.