Engineering services
Harmonic Drive supports OEM teams through gearbox sizing, prototype validation, serialized documentation, and plant-floor issue resolution. The service path is intentionally technical: every request is translated into torque in Nm, average output rpm, ratio, stiffness, life target, and environmental constraints before commercial quoting begins. This prevents the common mistake of selecting a compact reducer only by nominal ratio while ignoring bearing moment, acceleration profile, thermal load, and installation stiffness.
Engineers review peak torque, RMS torque, acceleration profile, and indexing frequency to protect flexspline fatigue life. The output is a ratio shortlist with margin notes, thermal limits, and any required derating for high duty cycles or elevated ambient temperature. For indexing axes, we also look at dwell time and deceleration shock because those values can dominate tooth stress even when average torque appears conservative.
For robot wrists, wafer stages, and gimbal axes, the mounting envelope is often tighter than the torque requirement. We check hollow-shaft routing, output bearing moment, fastener pattern, and assembly stack so the selected gear unit can be modeled before prototype release. If the machine frame supplies bearing support, the review separates component set responsibility from the customer's housing stiffness and alignment tolerance.
OEM programs can request inspection records covering lost motion, no-load running torque, output stiffness, ratio verification, and final visual inspection. Documentation is aligned with ISO 9001:2015 and can be packaged for CE machinery files or SEMI S2 review packages. For repeat production, records are linked to serial batches so procurement, quality, and engineering teams can trace changes without rebuilding the original sizing logic.
When a legacy axis shows temperature rise, audible indexing noise, or repeatability drift, the team reviews lubricant history, shock events, bearing preload, and controller profile. Recommendations distinguish normal wear from misalignment, overload, contamination, or incorrect start-stop profiles. Retrofit notes include whether a direct ratio replacement is practical or whether the axis should change motor inertia, brake behavior, or output support.