Custom Precision Gears for Surgical Robotics | DD Gear

Features & Benefits

• Low backlash and high positioning accuracy
  Surgical Robot Gears are manufactured with tight control of tooth profile, pitch and runout to support low backlash and high torsional stiffness in joint, wrist and instrument actuators, enabling precise instrument positioning and force control.

• Small-module precision for compact actuators
  Small-module spur and helical gears, planetary components and interface gears allow very compact actuator designs around joints and instrument cartridges, helping minimize invasiveness and improve ergonomics around the patient.

• Support for multiple actuator architectures
  DD Gear can supply gears and shafts for rotary joints, wrist drives, instrument roll/pitch/yaw mechanisms, and interface gears for harmonic or planetary reducers, allowing you to standardize on one gear partner across different robot subsystems.

• Materials and finishes for medical environments
  Depending on your design, we can work with alloy steels, stainless steels and corrosion-resistant or non-magnetic alloys, combined with appropriate heat treatment and finishing to support your cleaning and sterilization strategy.

• Noise, vibration and friction control
  Well-controlled tooth geometry, surface finish and micro-geometry help reduce noise and vibration and support predictable friction behavior, which is important for stable control, haptic feedback strategies and a quiet operating-room environment.

• Prototype-to-series production
  From early prototypes for new surgical robot platforms to stabilized series production under defined control plans and inspection routines, DD Gear can support long product life cycles and platform evolution.

Technical Specifications

Final data will be defined according to the customer’s drawing and sample.

Applications

Surgical Robot Gears from DD Gear can be tailored to many parts of a surgical robotic system, for example:

• Robotic arm joints (base, shoulder, elbow, wrist)
  Spur, helical and planetary gear stages interfacing with precision reducers to provide torque, stiffness and low backlash for positioning the patient-side arms.

• Instrument and end-effector actuators
  Small-module gears driving instrument roll, pitch, yaw and jaw/gripper motions in minimally invasive or endoscopic tools.

• Wrist and distal joint mechanisms
  Compact gear sets around the instrument tip to provide multi-DOF motion in constrained spaces.

• Auxiliary robotic axes
  Gears for positioning assistant arms, camera holders, instrument exchanges or bedside units that must be precise and quiet.

• Training and simulation platforms
  Similar gear technology may be used in non-clinical training robots and simulators, where feel and repeatability are important for surgeon training.

Gear Manufacturing Process

Every surgical robot gear is produced under a controlled gear manufacturing route designed for precision and durability. A typical process flow is:

1. Forging or bar cutting of shaft blanks

2. Lathe machining of shaft diameters and reference surfaces

3. Hobbing or shaping of gear teeth

4. Drilling, milling, and other CNC machining operations

5. Heat treatment (such as carburizing, quenching, tempering, nitriding)

6. Shot blasting and stress relief as required

7. Finish machining and grinding of journals and critical surfaces

8. Gear grinding (profile or worm grinding) where accuracy demands it

9. Cleaning and rust prevention treatment

10. Final inspection and packaging for shipment

Precision Gear Customization Process

To support custom surgical robot gear projects, DD Gear follows a clear, eight-step customization process:

Step 1 – Requirement Collection
Customers provide design requirements, 2D drawings, 3D models, or physical samples, together with basic duty cycle information (torque, speed, life, installation).

Step 2 – Drawing Design & Optimization
Based on the provided drawings or samples, DD Gear prepares or optimizes detailed manufacturing drawings and shares them with the customer for confirmation.

Step 3 – Quotation
After the drawings and technical points are confirmed, we issue a precise quotation covering tooling, piece price, lead time, and quality requirements.

Step 4 – Tooling & Fixture Preparation
Once the price is confirmed, we arrange tooling and fixture production. Any tooling cost is agreed with the customer in advance and can be offset or refunded after mass orders, according to the commercial agreement.

Step 5 – First Sample Approval
After tooling and fixtures are ready, we manufacture the first sample batch—typically within about 30 days—and ship it to the customer for testing.The customer inspects and validates the samples in their gearbox or test bench and provides feedback on dimensions, performance, and any required adjustments.

Step 6 – Mass Production
When the sample is approved, we start mass production according to the agreed production plan and quality standards.

Step 7 – Finished Product Inspection
After production, we inspect hardness, dimensions, runout, tooth accuracy, and other critical characteristics to ensure full compliance with the drawing and standards.

Step 8 – Shipping Arrangement
Once inspection is passed and shipment is approved by the customer, we arrange booking, packaging, and delivery to the specified destination.

Quality Assurance & Inspection

DD Gear applies the same quality philosophy to surgical robot gear and all precision gears:

• Quality management systems based on ISO 9001 and IATF 16949

• Process control from incoming material to final inspection, including:

  • Material certification and chemical composition checks

  • Hardness and case depth verification after heat treatment

  • Gear measurement for profile, lead, pitch, and runout

  • Surface roughness testing on gear flanks and journals

  • Dimensional inspection with calibrated gauges and CMMs

• Traceability for each batch with inspection records and reports

• Optional documentation such as PPAP/FAIR packs on request

Packaging

Usage & Installation Notes

• Ensure that gears, shafts, bearings and housings are assembled within specified tolerances; misalignment and incorrect fits will increase noise, friction and wear, and may affect control performance.

• Observe recommended mounting procedures and torque values for press fits, keys or clamping solutions, especially for small-module gears and thin sections.

• Use lubricants and quantities defined by your system design.

• During development and maintenance, monitor noise, vibration, torque ripple and temperature; unexpected changes should trigger inspection of tooth contact patterns, lubrication condition and bearing health.

• Protect gears from corrosion, contamination and mechanical damage during storage and assembly, particularly before cleaning or sterilization steps.

Company Strength – DD Gear

• Specialized in small module, high-precision gears and shafts for EVs, humanoid robots, AGVs, and intelligent automation.

• Integrated manufacturing from forging and machining to heat treatment and gear grinding.

• Quality systems aligned with automotive standards, with experience supporting OEM and Tier 1 projects.

• Engineering support covering concept feasibility, DFM reviews, and failure analysis feedback.

• Global export capability with experience serving customers in multiple countries.

Q1: What information do you need to quote Surgical Robot Gears?
We typically need: robot architecture and actuator location, 2D drawings and preferably 3D models, gear types (spur/helical/bevel/planetary/interface gears), module and tooth data, shaft arrangement, material and heat-treatment requirements, torque and speed ranges, stiffness and backlash targets, lubrication concept, cleanliness/sterilization considerations and expected annual volume.

Q2: Can you support non-magnetic or corrosion-resistant materials?
Within our material and process capabilities, we can work with selected stainless or corrosion-resistant alloys and, in some cases, non-magnetic materials, as defined in your drawings and specifications. Final material selection and verification for imaging compatibility or regulatory needs remains the responsibility of the robot OEM.

Q3: Do you supply complete surgical robots, actuators or sterilization validation?
No. DD Gear is a precision gear and shaft supplier. We manufacture gears and related components to your specifications. Complete actuators, robots, sterilization validation and clinical evaluation are handled by the surgical robot manufacturer and its partners.

Q4: Can you help reduce backlash and improve smoothness in our actuators?
We can provide feedback on manufacturable accuracy grades, tooth modifications, surface finish and heat-treatment schemes that influence backlash and friction behavior. Final tuning and verification of actuator performance, including control strategies and haptics, must be done at system level.

Q5: How do you address cleanliness and particle generation?
At the component level, we focus on controlled machining, deburring, cleaning and protective packaging. If you have specific cleanliness or particle limits, these should be defined in your specifications so we can discuss feasibility, inspection methods and any additional processing steps.