September 2019

n TECHNOLOGY September 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com 20 A GERMAN gear-maker has announced a planetary gearbox with an patented automatic wear control system that prevents the usual increase in torsional backlash caused by wear, thus avoiding the need to adjust or replace the gearboxes when their backlash exceeds tolerance limits. Hamelin-based Melior Motion claims that with this technology, its PSC gearboxes “virtually” ensure a backlash of less than 0.1 arc- min over their entire service lives. Although the Melior name may be new, it is a spinout from Stephan- Werke, which started life as a motor manufacturer in 1908, and expanded into the manufacture of gears and geared motors in the 1920s. In 2012, Stephan embarked on a €4m investment programme to develop a new range of planetary gears which it launched in 2015 but only sold directly to a select group of robot manufacturers. In 2017, Melior Motion was “released” from Stephan with the aim of marketing a standard range of the gearboxes aimed at applications such as positioning, packaging and machine tools, as well as robotics. The PSC gearboxes span a torque range of 500Nm–7kNm, and operate with efficiencies of more than 90%. Their integrated bearings result in a high tilting ability, making them ideal for applications such as robot axes and turntables. The wear adjustment system means that the almost complete lack of backlash is achieved with low preloads. The gearboxes are also have low breakaway torques, improving their control behaviour and reducing peak loads. At the end of 2018, Melior Motion opened a €7m facility that will allow it to produce 25,000 of the new gearboxes every year. There are plans for a second phase of investment in 2020 that could double its production capacity. www.meliormotion.com Patented wear control means that planetary gearboxes do not need to be adjusted or replaced MORE THAN 15 million industrial and commercial robots that can navigate their paths autonomously will be in operation by 2030, according to a new analysis by ABI research. These robots will rely on a technology known as Slam – simultaneous localisation and mapping – to map their environment while positioning themselves accurately. ABI predicts that Slam will be a crucial driver for robotics over the coming decade and will enable the transition from AGVs (automated guided vehicles) to AMRs (autonomous mobile robots).  AMRs can optimise their paths, react to unexpected situations, and navigate around obstacles. To avoid collisions, they need to pinpoint their location in real time. “In these first years of Industry 4.0, few factories will have a Real-Time Location System (RTLS) established, making it essential that AMRs can dynamically map their immediate environment using Slam,” says Andrew Zignani, ABI’s principal analyst for location technologies. “Still, factories which already have a RTLS system deployed, can use RTLS and Slam together to provide valuable IoT data to a digital platform that can be used to optimise processes and make factories even leaner, thereby driving much faster ROI.” ABI predicts that intelligent, reprogrammable AMRs will account for 80% of all commercial robot shipments by 2027. They will need mapping and localisation capabilities to react to changing factory environments and to avoid collisions with humans and other machines. Most industrial robots will therefore have Slam capabilities within a decade, ABI believes. Data generated by these Slam capabilities could be integrated into a centralised digital factory platforms to be analysed for KPIs. Slam relies on sophisticated algorithms to work smoothly and accurately. The large amount of data generated by sensors on- board AMRs will require efficient, low-latency processing. Software companies including Intermodalics, Kudan and Accuware have identified a market opportunity for Slam algorithms and are partnering up with AMR integrators to deploy their software. For example, Belgian-based Pick-It – a spinout from Intermodalics – has developed a 3D vision localisation technology that allows robots to identify and pick items in containers and on shelves. The plug-and-play technology can be used by AMRs in warehouses and the retail sector, and does not need deep technical expertise to operate. “The 2020s are going to kick off with drastic changes in industrial environments,” Zignani concludes. “AI, IoT, RTLS and connectivity technologies such as 5G, will interact and improve each other in complex ways. Not all levels of the robotics value chain are ready for it. There are great opportunities in software development yet to be explored, Slam being a big part of it.” www.abiresearch.com Melior Motion’s planetary gearboxes exhibit an almost complete lack of backlash throughout their lives Slam technology will pave the way for a new generation of autonomous industrial robots