Flexspline Deformation Analysis Depending on the Polymer Material Used in the Harmonic Drive Prototype

Harmonic drives are traditionally made of steel by machining methods. Their advantages are the reason why attempts are made to use them in space vehicles or control systems. The next step is to test the feasibility of manufacturing these gears in space using rapid prototyping (RP) methods. Harmonic drives can be produced there from polymer materials because their load in space will be multiple lower. This article presents an analysis of the deformations of the flexspline performed by various rapid prototyping methods from different polymer materials. For the flexspline only deformed by the wave generator, no significant differences were observed between the materials used, but after loading, the most favourable results were obtained for PA 2200 polyamide. The results obtained for various polymer materials will contribute to further work on the design of the harmonic drives, which will be prepared using the RP methods in space.