100 years of the cycloidal gearbox

Technology briefly explained 100 years of the Cyclo principle

2025-02-11 From Sumitomo Drive Technologies | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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In our series "Technology Briefly Explained," we regularly present masterpieces of engineering and special developments. Today: the cycloidal gearbox.

Modern cycloidal gearbox: The Cyclo principle is applied today in machine tools and robots, among other things.(Image: Sumitomo Drive Technologies) — Modern cycloidal gearbox: The Cyclo principle is applied today in machine tools and robots, among other things.
(Image: Sumitomo Drive Technologies)

There are groundbreaking technologies like the automobile, the steam engine, printing, as well as the telephone and the internet, which everyone knows and which have fundamentally changed society. The Cyclo principle, also known as the cycloidal gearbox, is less visible but has transformed the industrial world in the background and is today an important component of modern drive solutions.

How does a cycloidal gearbox work?

The special feature of the cycloidal gearbox is its construction. The most important components include: a high-speed shaft with an eccentric bearing, one or more cam/cycloidal discs, a ring gear housing, and a roller disc with the slowly rotating output shaft.

Principle structure of a cycloidal gearbox: The drive shaft (green) drives the cam disc (yellow). Its cams roll over the pins (gray) of the ring gear housing. The rotation of the cam disc is transmitted via rollers/pins (purple), which protrude through the holes in the cam disc, to the roller disc and the output shaft (purple).(Image: public domain/Wikipedia.de) — Principle structure of a cycloidal gearbox: The drive shaft (green) drives the cam disc (yellow). Its cams roll over the pins (gray) of the ring gear housing. The rotation of the cam disc is transmitted via rollers/pins (purple), which protrude through the holes in the cam disc, to the roller disc and the output shaft (purple).
(Image: public domain/Wikipedia.de)

The cam disc is driven by the eccentric shaft, which is a shaft with an offset step that is not symmetrical to the rotational axis of the shaft—alternatively, a shaft with eccentric bearings can be used. The cam disc is mounted on the step or eccentric bearing. Around the cam disc, the pins of the ring gear housing are arranged in a circular pattern. As the drive shaft rotates, the cams of the cam disc successively engage the pins of the ring gear housing. The cam disc rotates backward and more slowly than the drive shaft. More precisely, the cam disc advances by one cam per rotation of the drive shaft.

In the cam disc, there are several holes. Behind the cam disc is the roller disc, whose rollers engage the holes of the cam disc. The roller disc is driven by the cam disc. The output shaft is attached coaxially to the drive shaft on the roller disc. In this setup, the output shaft thus moves significantly slower than the drive shaft. The gearbox is very small compared to a gear transmission but achieves high gear ratios.

Gallery

Florian Butzmann, CEO of Sumitomo Drive Technologies EMEIA(Image: Sumitomo Drive Technologies)

This is the lathe shop of Cyclo Getriebebau Lorenz Braren KG in 1948.(Image: Sumitomo Drive Technologies)

Early image of a cycloidal gearbox: Advantages of this gearbox design include low wear and high gear ratio while maintaining a compact construction.(Image: Sumitomo Drive Technologies)

Gallery with 5 images

What are the advantages of the cycloidal gearbox?

Unlike gear transmissions, the cyclo principle distributes the load evenly across multiple pins and discs. This makes the gearbox very low-wear and durable. The design also reduces maintenance effort. Due to these properties, cycloidal gearboxes are used today in a variety of industries, especially where high precision is required, such as in machine tools and medical technology. They also ensure precise and efficient movement in many areas of robotics and automation. They are often used in intralogistics and production, found in autonomous mobile robots and driverless transport systems that require reliable and compact drive solutions.

Historical milestones: From principle to global brand

With a bold approach to innovation, Lorenz Konrad Braren laid the foundation for the success story of cycloidal gearboxes in the 1920s. The engineer, born on the North Frisian island of Föhr (Germany) in 1886, drew from his experience gained in the USA, Germany, and as chief designer at the company Friedrich Deckel in Munich. Inspired by Deckel's precise "Compur" camera shutter, he developed a new gearbox technology characterized by precision and reliability.

After Braren's invention in 1925, his work led to a collaboration in 1932 with what is now Sumitomo Heavy Industries, which acquired a license to build the Cyclo gearbox in Japan. Despite language barriers, it was the shared fascination for technology that established an alliance.

Today, Sumitomo Drive Technologies is a renowned brand in drive technology, including cycloidal gearboxes. With recent acquisitions, such as the Lafert Group and Invertek Drives, the manufacturer has evolved from a component manufacturer to a complete provider of drive solutions. The portfolio ranges from precision drives, industrial gearboxes, centrifuges, actuators, motors, frequency converters, to connected solutions for Industry 4.0. "We are proud to have been moving and improving industrial processes worldwide for 100 years," says Florian Butzmann, CEO of Sumitomo Drive Technologies EMEIA.

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