The main factors that promote the improvement of the level of harmonic reducers

Development of harmonic reducers

In the 70s and 80s of the 20th century, the reducer technology in the world has made great progress and is closely integrated with the development of the new technological revolution. The development trend of universal harmonic reducers is as follows:

① Diversified types and multiple variant designs. Breaking away from the traditional single base installation method, different types such as hollow shaft suspension type, floating support base, integrated connection between motor and reducer, and multi-directional installation surface have been added to expand the scope of use.

② High level and performance. Cylindrical gears are generally carburized, quenched, and ground, with a load-bearing capacity increased by more than four times. They are small in size, light in weight, low in noise, high in efficiency, and high in reliability.

③ Building block combination design. The basic parameters of the harmonic reducer adopt priority numbers, with neat size specifications, strong universality and interchangeability of parts, and the series is easy to expand and renovate, which is conducive to organizing mass production and reducing costs.

The main factors that promote the improvement of the level of harmonic reducers are:

① By using good materials and generally using various high-quality alloy steel forgings, the quality control level of materials and heat treatment has been improved.

② The theoretical knowledge is becoming increasingly perfect and closer to reality (such as gear strength calculation methods, modification techniques, deformation calculations, optimization design methods, tooth root smooth transition, new structures, etc.).

③ The structural design is more reasonable.

④ The machining accuracy has been improved to ISO5-6 level.

⑤ Improved bearing quality and lifespan.

⑥ Improve the quality of lubricating oil.

Since the 1960s, China has successively formulated standards for a number of universal reducers such as JB1130-70 "Cylindrical Gear Reducers". In addition to self-made and matched use by the main engine factory, a number of specialized production factories for reducers have also been formed. At present, there are hundreds of enterprises producing reducers nationwide, with an annual output of about 250000 universal reducers, which has contributed to the development of mechanical products in China.

Most of the reducers in the 1960s were manufactured based on Soviet technology from the 1940s to the 1950s. Although they developed later, due to the limited design, process level, and equipment conditions at that time, their overall level was significantly lower than the international level.

Since the reform and opening up, China has introduced a batch of advanced processing equipment and gradually mastered the design and manufacturing technology of various high-speed and low-speed heavy-duty gear devices through the introduction, digestion, and absorption of foreign advanced technology and scientific research. The material, heat treatment quality, and gear processing accuracy of the harmonic reducer have greatly improved. The manufacturing accuracy of general cylindrical gears can be improved from level 8-9 in JB179-60 to level 6 in GB10095-88, and the manufacturing accuracy of high-speed gears can be stabilized at level 4-5. After some reducers adopt hard tooth surfaces, their volume and mass are significantly reduced, and their load-bearing capacity, service life, and transmission efficiency have been greatly improved, which plays a significant role in energy conservation and improving the overall level of the main engine.

The power of the high-speed gear reducer (booster) designed and manufactured by China has reached 42000kW, and the circumferential speed of the gear has exceeded 150m/s. However, the technical level of most reducers in China is not yet high, and old products cannot be immediately replaced. The transition between new and old products will take a long time.