20 years since the company started gear production in Limburg, specialist gearing company Harmonic Drive AG has announced that the company has manufactured its one millionth gear. The milestone can be attributed to the growing need for precision in applications, following the increased adoption of industrial automation in recent years.
Automation is advancing quickly and to keep pace, design and mechanical engineers are striving for new ways to develop and enhance the performance of their applications. To achieve this, engineers are turning to leading manufacturer Harmonic Drive to integrate its high precision gear offering and meet the demands of today’s highly technological world.
“Celebrating the manufacture of our millionth gear is a real testament to the wide product offering we now have available and the increased customer demand we have received for our specialist gears,” said Graham Mackrell, managing director of Harmonic Drive UK.
“In fact, we plan on extending our portfolio in the mechatronic area and working on projects to decentralise control technology in smart drives, which we will see a higher need for in the coming years.
“Having served our customers for many years now, we understand that it’s as important that our product lines are adaptable as it is that they are efficient, precise and effective. We have been able to evolve alongside the industry to ensure our customers can remain competitive in changing markets. In fact, it was in 2014, our series production of cross roller bearings began, and it was then we were able to respond more strongly to our customer’s needs.
“Designed with a high degree of rigidity, high running accuracy and torque capacity, the bearings are ideal for use in robots, machine tools and medical devices. Our expertise allows us to create roller bearings designed for specific customer needs and this is how we’ve been able to position Harmonic Drive as a single source solution provider, which we will continue to do as we develop the next generation of solutions.”
Harmonic Drive has transitioned in line with market changes to become a system provider for a wide range of sectors, ranging from oil and gas to medical devices, rather than just a component supplier. In addition to keeping up with market demands, the company is renowned for its investment in research and development projects, such as the creation of specialist test equipment and machines to meet complex procurement frameworks.
The Limburg site celebrating the manufacturing milestone was responsible for the development of the company’s high-power density and smooth operating servo actuator range. This specialist actuator is commonly used to achieve precise linear and rotary motion control in industrial machine tooling, robotics and aerospace applications.
