A strain wave gearbox is a compact, high-ratio speed reducer that uses the controlled elastic deformation of a thin-walled flexspline — driven by an elliptical wave generator inside a rigid circular spline — to convert fast input rotation into precise, low-speed, high-torque output. Because this principle packs a large reduction ratio into a small footprint, strain wave gearboxes are a common choice wherever compact, torque-dense motion control matters: robot arms, grippers, and other automation applications.
The igus drygear® strain wave gearbox brings that same compact, high-ratio design to a fully dry-running construction. Instead of metal, drygear® gearboxes use high-performance iglide® polymers for the flexspline and gear interfaces, which keeps the unit lightweight and lets it run quiet and smooth even at high torque — without the grease, contamination risk, or relubrication schedule that lubricated metal gearing needs. The large transmission ratio makes the gearbox self-locking, and it's mainly used as a gearbox for stepper motors, with input and output interfaces available to match common motor frame sizes, including direct drive-shaft and flanged output configurations for easy integration into robot arms and grippers.
