Comparison of Characteristics of Cycloidal Gear Reducer Using Metal, Plastic and 3D Printed Parts

Abstract

In recent years, the demand for industrial robots has increased and is expected to continue to grow. In addition, efforts toward the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and carbon neutrality are gaining momentum worldwide. The purpose of this study is to improve the energy efficiency of robots, and this paper investigates materials for lightweight reduction gears. To reduce robot weight, it is necessary to replace conventional metal materials with lightweight materials such as composite materials and resins. However, in general, weight reduction tends to reduce stiffness, resulting in a decrease in the speed and precision performance required for industrial robots. We have evaluated the applicability of replacing metal parts with plastic materials made using a fused deposition modeling 3D printer. In the previous paper, only metal parts and 3D printed resin parts were compared, but in this paper, machined CFRP and POM parts, and 3D printed resin parts with increased infill ratio are added to the material types and compared. The results show that there are differences in mass, no-load torque, stiffness, efficiency, etc., depending on the combination of materials, and that weight reduction can be achieved with minimal performance degradation by selecting a combination appropriate for the application.