VOGEL Develops a New Generation of Low-Backlash Planetary Gearboxes
VOGEL Antriebstechnik is extending its range of servo gearboxes and setting new standards in the field of low-backlash planetary gearboxes with its latest development - series MPG 050-300. Like the MPR series before it, the MPG series is now being progressively converted to helical gear teeth. The objective of the further development was to combine maximum flexibility with high power density. Its innovative design permits versatile installation and is ideal for servo applications with high speed operation.
The reason for this new development, for which the series release was granted in May, is the resounding success of the MPR series, which was finalised in 2007/2008. Numerous innovation prizes and high sales figures are indications of the wide recognition of the series by the market.
Customers benefit from increased efficiency coupled with enhanced manufacturing quality. The success and major international demand have prompted VOGEL Antriebstechnik to modify the engineering of the MPG series as well, since the demands made on gearboxes have been steadily increasing all over the world over the past few years. "Our customers demand higher and higher degrees of precision, durability and power density," says Volker Uhlmann, Managing Partner at VOGEL Antriebstechnik.
To meet these demands, development engineers have developed a new generation of planetary gearboxes. Among other things, they make robust, reliable and efficient machine drives possible over the complete plant life cycle. The new MPG 050-300 series with helical gear teeth is replacing the tried-and-trusted series MPG 00-03 with straight teeth. Jens-Peter Horn, Head of Development at VOGEL, sums up the results of the Development Department's work: "Our innovation is based on low backlash and optimisation of the mass moment of inertia."
The new generation of MPG gearboxes differs from its sister range the MPR mainly in the design of the output side. MPR gearboxes have a free output shaft, whereas the MPG have a sturdy output flange with a large diameter fixing pattern. The distance of the output fasteners in relation to the output bearings has been minimised in the design, thus making high radial and axial loads possible. Overall, great attention was paid to compactness and freedom from maintenance during the design and development of these new models.
The design allows output gear connections to be installed even in tight spots that are difficult to access. In addition, gearboxes do not require venting and can be installed vertically and horizontally. "Just fit and forget," says Walter Speier, Head of Sales, summing up the advantages of the new series. "The MPG series offers enormous variety that fulfils almost every customer wish." The new gearbox generation has been completely integrated in Vogel's well-designed modular system. Important toothed parts and motor connections can be combined and adapted easily and flexibly to different motor requirements.
The use of optimised planetary wheels, pinions and hollow gears with helical teeth and the special grinding method LNS (Low Noise Shifting) guarantee high power density. "Thanks to the improved concentricity and the innovative product geometry with helical teeth, the torques achieved are up to 20 per cent higher than planetary gearboxes with straight teeth," Jens-Peter Horn explains. The new gearbox sizes have increased the maximum acceleration torque from 500 Nm with the old model MPG 03 up to 660 Nm with the new model MPG 300. This makes the new development particularly interesting for example in servo applications which have a high speed range and have to achieve high acceleration torques for linear drives. The precise grinding process also ensures reduced noise emissions from the high manufacturing quality of the gears. The grinding process and its results are checked continually and automatically, with correction of the necessary parameters. This achieves consistent and best possible results. The planetary gearbox is almost backlash-free with a maximum backlash of ≤ 1 angular minutes and also achieves a high degree of efficiency, thus allowing extremely energy-efficient operation with low thermal load.
In addition to the high permissible input speeds and highly dynamic cyclic capacity, the convincing features of the new series also include a high overload capacity during acceleration and deceleration. The low-backlash planetary gearboxes are one hundred per cent maintenance-free and impress with their above-average service life. A large range of ratios (i = 4 to 100) and permanent lubrication with synthetic high-performance oils complete the well through-out overall concept of the MPG series. The series is supplied with one and two stage models. Special gearbox designs can be adapted to customer wishes on request, both on the input and output side.
The innovative gearboxes with the flange output are used in numerous areas of application from classic machine and plant construction through printing and packaging technology to automation, robotics and handling. The low backlash permits exact positioning without play on very fast cycles, such as is necessary in automated pick & place applications. A further development criterion was the external design, which is becoming more and more important on the market. With its clean shapes and smooth surfaces, the MPG series is not only doing justice to the increasing demand for an attractive appearance, it also makes top performance available. As with all VOGEL drive solutions, the low-backlash planetary gearboxes are also available in washdown versions. The washdown gearboxes without traps where dirt can collect are ideal for use in the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries, where specific cleaning and hygiene requirements have to be fulfilled.
