Strain wave gearing

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Strain wave gearing (also known as harmonic gearing) is a type of mechanical gear system that uses a flexible spline with external teeth that is deformed by a rotating elliptical plug to engage with the internal gear teeth of an outer spline. The German company Harmonic Drive SE manufactured the first series-produced gears under the product name or registered trademark Harmonic Drive. Strain wave gearing has some advantages over traditional gearing systems, such as helical or planetary gears, including: no backlash, compactness and light weight, high gear ratios, reconfigurable ratios within a standard housing, good resolution and excellent repeatability (linear representation) when repositioning inertial loads, high torque capability, coaxial input and output shafts. High gear reduction ratios are possible in a small volume (a ratio from 30:1 up to 320:1 is possible in the same space in which planetary gears typically only produce a 10:1 ratio). Disadvantages include a tendency for 'wind...

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