Harmonic Drive: Aviation & Space

Aviation

Aircraft

Harmonic Drive® Gears are the go to solution in applications where safety and fault tolerance are non negotiable. Their unique design, with limited components and zero backlash, ensures precision and reliability, reducing the risk of sudden mechanical failures.

Learn more

Helicopters

EVTOLs

Space

Rover

Harmonic Drive® Gears have embarked on an incredible journey through the solar system, frequently landing on Mars and will continue to play a vital role in supporting space exploration on the red planet in the near future.

Learn more

Satellites

Launcher

Vacuum & Cryotechnology

Vacuum & Cryotechnology

Our solutions for vacuum and cryogenic technology ensure maximum precision and stability even under extreme conditions. Whether ultra-low temperatures or vacuum environments – our products guarantee reliable performance in demanding applications.

Learn more

Contact

Tailored product development

It is difficult to assign the right component. That is why it is important to us to respond to your needs individually and with personal advice.

Request know-how & advice

Harmonic Drive® in Aviation & Space

High demands placed on components

Whether passenger planes, spaceships or space probes – there is one thing that all flying objects have in common, whether they are in the air or in space. Their components are subject to enormous pressure and are nevertheless under great responsibility to perform. Such actuators must be capable of reliably fulfilling the demands placed on them. Besides positional accuracy and repeat precision, as well as high torque capacity and torsional rigidity, absolute priority is attached to the lightness and reliability of the components’ construction. The Harmonic Drive® principle enjoys a long tradition in aerospace applications. More than 50 years ago, the first Harmonic Drive® gears left our planet and contributed to the success of the first explorations of the moon as part of the Apollo missions.

Broad application spectrum

The application spectrum of Harmonic Drive® actuators in aerospace is varied. While the CPL series and in-house developed, dry-lubricated Harmonic Drive® ZirconLine actuators are predestined for use in satellites, where they are employed among other things to control the orientation of the solar panels, special-purpose gears based on HFUC gearing technology are found in aviation applications, where they drive a wide range of safety-critical applications. Integrated as components in the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, Harmonic Drive® actuators have been involved in researching the uncharted expanses of the Red Planet; as wheel drives, they were among the first marathon finishers to reach our neighbouring planet.