Reducer is one of the core components of robots and an important "joint" of industrial robots. Since 2023, with the favorable trend of the robot sector, especially the humanoid robot sector, the concept of decelerators has suddenly become popular.

In industrial robot applications, reducers mainly convert the high-speed operating power output by servo motors into low-speed, high torque motion. It is worth mentioning that among the three core components of industrial robots (reducer, servo system, controller), the cost of reducer accounts for 30%. The reason for the high cost is partly due to the late start of domestic research, poor stability and short lifespan of reducers, which rely on imports and cannot be fully replaced by domestic production; On the other hand, due to the high precision requirements of the robot's end effector, the reducer must be very precise, with almost no dead zones, while also being able to withstand sufficiently high loads, wear resistance, and energy efficiency in transmission. So, in summary, this is also why reducers have become one of the important limiting factors for the cost of industrial robots.

Reducer can generally be divided into harmonic reducer and RV reducer. Harmonic reducer is a transmission device that utilizes flexible components (such as harmonic generators) to mesh with rigid transmission components. It has the characteristics of high transmission ratio, high transmission efficiency, small size, light weight, and smooth transmission; RV reducer is a precision gear transmission device used to convert the high-speed rotation of a motor into the required low-speed rotation, while achieving an increase in torque.

According to GGII data, the usage of RV reducers and harmonic reducers for industrial robots in China in 2022 was 459400 units and 639600 units, respectively. The overall usage of RV reducers is lower than that of harmonic reducers. According to data from the Forward Industry Research Institute, it is predicted that by 2026, the market for China's gearbox industry will reach 160.5 billion yuan.

In the process of robot manufacturing, the choice of reducer is crucial for the performance and lifespan of the robot, and its precision largely determines the performance of the product. In recent years, with policy support and industry promotion, the domestic reducer market has entered a period of rapid development, and the layout of related enterprises has accelerated.