HSD S.p.A. is a leading global manufacturer of high-frequency spindles for machining equipment. Established in 1991, the company develops and produces electro spindles as well as two-axis milling heads, aggregates and boring heads for the machining of wood, aluminium, plastics, composite, glass and stone. For the production of these machine components, HSD relies on precision gearboxes from Nabtesco.
The company has its headquarters in Pesaro, a town at the heart of the Italian centre of furniture production and is a global market leader for air-cooled precision high-frequency spindles developed and designed with a close eye on the market and the needs of its customers. By implementing a lean manufacturing system, HSD has optimised all design and manufacturing processes to guarantee streamlined production to the highest technical standard and consistent unrivalled product quality. Thanks to optimised workflows and processes, the company can respond quickly to market demands as regards design, technical features and batch sizes.
The three international sales and service agencies work closely together with the specialists at the Pesaro head office and are equally committed to the needs of customers. The agencies are fully owned by HSD S.p.A. and located in Germany, the USA and China to cover all international key markets.
Close business partnership
To achieve the product quality and availability as well as the flexibility in relation to design and technology that the customers expect, HSD cooperates with suppliers that are equally committed to the highest standards. For the last five years, HSD has established a close business relationship with the gearbox manufacturer Nabtesco. This partnership enables HSD to provide market with machines whose gear systems meet the same stringent quality requirements as all other HSD components.
At the moment, a number of different Nabtesco gearboxes and gearheads are used in the production of two-axis milling heads for five-axis machining centres designed for the timber and aluminium processing industries. "Our R&D department is currently working on a number of new projects using Nabtesco gearboxes for all kinds of purposes, as we have been very happy with the performance of these reliable components," says Gianluca Drudi an engineer working in the HSD Design Department. With the RV series, Nabtesco offers a wide range of tried and tested reducers, so that most HSD machines can be manufactured using existing Nabtesco components. Where required, the companies team up to develop special solutions based on customer specifications.
As the leading global supplier of trochoidal gears, Nabtesco offers various precision reducers for highly demanding and complex applications. There are many good reasons why more than 3.5 million trochoidal gears from Nabtesco are currently in operation worldwide. "At HSD, we make no compromises when it comes to the quality of gear systems," emphasises Gianluca Drudi. "Particularly important to us are the excellent torque and torsional rigidity and extremely low backlash of the Nabtesco gearboxes. In addition, we appreciate the compact design and high torque capacity of the Nabtesco components."
Fast positioning
The large range of solid and hollow shaft gears from Nabtesco enables us to implement solutions with fast and accurate positioning at high loads without residual vibration. By mounting transfer gear systems, you are able to produce units with motors attached at right angles. In addition, this approach enables us to achieve greater reduction ratios up to i = 300 than would be available with standard designs. Such reduction ratios are normally only achievable by installing multiple planetary stages. The rolling friction of all elements involved in the power transmission ensures a low breakaway torque, minimum wear and high efficiency. The two integrated angular ball bearings do away with costly external support devices that tend to require extensive maintenance. All trochoidal gearboxes from Nabtesco offer minimum backlash well below one arc-min and shock-load capacities of up to five times the rated torque. These gear systems have for many years been used in industrial robots. Worldwide, more than 60 per cent of these robots are already equipped with such gearboxes.
Compact installation kits
The RV series is at the heart of Nabtesco's product range. The installation kits are extremely compact and highly rigid. The power is transmitted through rollers. This approach guarantees high efficiency, long service life and minimum backlash. The two- stage reduction design minimises vibration and inertia while increasing ratio capabilities. The products of the RV-E series consist essentially of RV gearboxes and large integrated angular ball bearings. They are designed to transfer high external forces and torques without the need for additional external bearing. RV-E products are thus precision gearboxes of compact design and excellent rigidity with consistent long-term operating behaviour. As the trochoidal pin design ensures nearly 100 per cent contact and uniform force transmission within the gearbox, these units are extremely suitable for high loads at minimum backlash. Thanks to their unique construction, the RV gearboxes allow for high repeat and trace accuracy. At the zero-crossing of the hysteresis curve, the opening is maximum one arc-min. The symmetrical design and the support of all shafts by roller bearings guarantee consistent high performance throughout the service life and allow for short-time peak loads of up to five times the rated torque (i.e. for emergency stops).
The RV-C series offers the same features as the RV-E series. These gearboxes include however hollow shafts with larger diameters suitable for the installation of power and data cables or laser lines.
Complete kits for easy installation
RD series combine the high performance and extreme precision of the RV components in a quick installation kit. The RD-E gearheads are shipped completely sealed, greased and ready for installation. They are factory-assembled with a motor adapter plate and a motor shaft coupling customised for your equipment. Nabtesco offers two different RD gearbox versions that allow for the implementation of a wide range of customer-specific solutions. By combining RD-C and RD-E units in a single machine, it is possible to achieve fast movement with precision positioning. In rotating devices, the RD-C can for example be used for rotation and positioning, with the option to feed cables and pipelines through its hollow shaft. The RD-E on the other hand is responsible for the diagonal alignment of the vertical and/or horizontal axis.
