WP Series variants, FLEXWAVE product family

Take your robot to the next level with FLEXWAVE. NIDEC-SHIMPO has a history of supplying the leading robotics and machine tool manufacturers in Japan. Our loyal customers within these industries strongly urged us to develop our own harmonic gear technology and leverage our primary competencies – modularity and flexibility of the core design and highly consistent production in mass volume – to help them become more competitive in the global marketplace. After extensive effort to refine harmonic gear technology and to manufacture at a level that exceeds customer expectations, NIDEC-SHIMPO has released FLEXWAVE.

FLEXWAVE is a compact harmonic gear reduction mechanism that achieves zero backlash, as well as exceptional positioning accuracy, torque density and repeatability. FLEXWAVE consists of three internal elements – the flexspline, the circular spline and the wave generator. The elasticity properties of the flexspline and the teeth differential between the flexspline and the circular spline result in its unique reduction characteristics.

FLEXWAVE comes in various form factors, including component sets, simple contained assemblies and complete gear units. Cup, hat, solid and hollow input shaft configurations give engineers true freedom in design. FLEXWAVE is also available in Ultra-Flat and High Torque variations for applications with demanding footprint and performance requirements. Dimensions are interchangeable against industry standards, making it easier to implement in legacy equipment. When compared with other gear technologies, FLEXWAVE offers the following advantages:

• Exceptional Repeatability and Positional Accuracy
• Zero Backlash
• High Torque Density
• High Efficiency Ratings
• High Reduction Ratios in a Single Stage
• Lightweight and Compact
• High Torsional Stiffness
• Fully Back Drivable

These characteristics enable FLEXWAVE to be the superior choice for Robotics, Machine Tool, Medical Equipment, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Satellite Communications and Assembly Automation applications.