Harmonic Drive AG has enhanced its partnership with leading Danish manufacturer Universal Robots with the supply of HFUS-2SH Series Gears for use in the UR-5 six-axis flexible robot. The superior mechanical properties of the gear are used in the flexible lightweight UR-5's six-axis robot arm. The move is an effort by Universal Robots to optimise production processes by reducing floor space and increasing flexibility.

In the last few months, we’ve noticed two trends in the aerospace sector become more popular and we expect these to continue into 2019. The first, is the trend for electromechanical actuation. The second, is the trend for electric planes designed for short hub and personal travel. Here, Graham Mackrell, Managing Director at Harmonic Drive UK, discusses the trends that will shape the future of aerospace.

The Prime Minister’s announcement of launching a satellite programme following Brexit presents a number of opportunities for British businesses. Here, Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gear specialist, Harmonic Drive UK, explained. Around the world we have become heavily reliant on satellites in our everyday lives. Not only are functions such as global positioning systems (GPS) widely used, but so are many other forms of ...

Harmonic Drive UK will be exhibiting its range of high precision gears at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow. The company will be on Stand 4026 in Hall 4 from 16th to 22nd July to advise aerospace manufacturers on the best gearing system for their product. More than 40 years ago, the first Harmonic Drive gears were sent into space during the Apollo 15 mission.

High precision gearing and actuation company, Harmonic Drive UK has launched a series of offerings designed to meet the specific challenges faced in a range of extreme sectors on the frontiers of human endeavour. Called 'Special Environment' projects, these will include gearing and actuation products for sectors such as space, aerospace, military and defence, as well as offshore and subsea environments.

  According to new research, the industrial robotics market is expected to be worth $71.7bn by 2023. The rapid growth is affecting markets across the board, from automotive and electronics to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Graham Mackrell, Managing Director of robot gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, looks at the drivers and what businesses can expect to see in the coming years.

  Aerospace gearing specialist, Harmonic Drive UK, will address the issue of gear lubrication in the space industry during a presentation at this year’s European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium (ESMATS) at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield from 20-22nd September. The session will present the findings of the company’s research into dry lubrication.

One of the most important aspects of gearing technology has always been positioning accuracy. Whether gears are used for surgical robots, bomb disposal units or subsea Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), it is important that axial motion is precise. However, this has become increasingly important in recent years. Graham Mackrell, Managing Director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains the engineering developments that ma...

A new set of standards for the ethical design of robots and robotic devices has been released by the British Standards Institute (BSI). The standards highlight the growing need for guidelines on robotic safety, contact with human beings, robotic deception, addiction and possible sexism or racism exhibited by self-learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. Graham Mackrell, Managing Director of robotic gearing specialist Harmonic Driv...

Precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK has released a one-page guide giving advice for those interested in a career in robotics. The guide details the different routes that people can take to work in the sector, routes that depart from traditional robot manufacturing. Despite the engineering skills shortage, there are still many jobs available in various areas of the robotics industry.

As a famous fictional policeman once said, “the reason that the rich were so rich... was because they managed to spend less money.” What he meant was that although the rich may buy more expensive things, they buy products that will last longer and are therefore a better investment. Although the policeman in question was referring to boots at the time, the same is true of cars, phones, and even servo actuators used in packaging machine...

As far back as 1925, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird successfully transmitted the first recognisable image using a device he called the Televisor. However, the technology was held back until after 1947 when John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley of Bell Laboratories co-invented the transistor.

High precision gear expert, Harmonic Drive, has released an infographic tracking the evolution of medical machines, from the dawn of the humble stethoscope to modern medical robots. Machines have been synonymous with innovation and the advancement of the human race for centuries, and the way they interact with our lives is becoming increasingly symbiotic.  From the motorcar and smartphone to industrial automation and medical devices, ou...

Harmonic Drive will be joining exhibitors at Drives & Controls 2016 from 12th-14th April at Birmingham’s NEC. The company’s stand is aligned with the exhibition’s strong focus on the robotics industry and the Harmonic Drive team will be showcasing a range of servo actuators tailor-made to support the future of robotics from stand D775.

While Star Wars fans excitedly await the next instalment of the film franchise, Harmonic Drive has released the next best thing: a short video inspired by the film. The video (below) demonstrates Harmonic Drive's technology in aerospace and defence applications, which until recently belonged in the realms of science fiction.

At the Engineering Design Show, which takes place from 21st to 22nd October at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Harmonic Drive UK will be exhibiting its range of high precision HPN planetary gears. The company will be situated at stand number G50 in the Jaguar exhibition hall.

Harmonic Drive will be exhibiting its range of high precision servo actuators, used in land and sea applications, at DSEI, the defence and security equipment international exhibition. DSEI will take place from September 15-18, 2015 at the ExCel arena in London and Harmonic Drive can be found on stand number S6-315 in the German pavilion.

Following the review by Lord Perkins calling for collaboration, Harmonic Drive UK is calling for universities and academic partners as part of a concerted effort to tackle the graduate skills shortage.