An electronics manufacturer operating a high-throughput Surface Mount Technology (SMT) production line approached us for a compact, high-precision gearbox to integrate into a 6-axis robotic arm used for circuit board handling and component placement. The core pain point was accumulated backlash in the existing drivetrain, leading to micro-misalignments during component mounting, which caused costly yield issues.
Key specifications provided:
- Mounting Type: Flange mount with hollow shaft for cable pass-through
- Reduction Ratio: 50:1
- Protection Class: IP65
- Backlash: ≤1 arcmin
- Torque: 50 Nm rated, 80 Nm peak
- Material: Hardened steel gears + aluminum alloy housing
- Duty Cycle: Continuous 24/7 operation with >20,000-hour lifespan
Solution & Integration
To address this, we developed a custom low-backlash planetary reducer specifically tuned for robotic arm articulation in confined environments. The gearbox featured:
- Precision-ground helical gears to minimize noise and increase smoothness
- Dual angular contact bearings for high radial and axial load capacity
- Integrated encoder mount for closed-loop positioning accuracy
- Lubrication-free design with high-temperature synthetic grease
Our engineering team collaborated with the client’s automation integrator to:
- Optimize mounting alignment to reduce torsional offset
- Test positional repeatability over 500,000 motion cycles
- Validate thermal performance under non-stop operation
Results & Impact
Post-deployment data showed a 42% reduction in placement deviation, improved Z-axis stability during high-speed pick-and-place, and elimination of drift during extended runtime. The client has since rolled out our gearbox solution to five SMT lines, reporting fewer reworks and enhanced production stability.
