TK-480
480 mm outer diameter. IP67. Waist, spine, and heavy-payload manipulation where sustained torque and ingress protection are non-negotiable.
The TK-480 adds a planetary pre-stage to the harmonic drive for 95 Nm continuous torque at 2.50 kg. IP67 sealed housing, 21-bit encoder for sub-arcsecond position resolution, EtherCAT as primary bus. Built for harsh-environment advanced manufacturing and heavy-limb humanoid platforms.
Full specification
| Mechanical | |
|---|---|
| Outer Diameter | 480 mm |
| Stack Length | 96 mm |
| Output Shaft OD | 68 mm |
| Mass | 2.50 kg |
| Gearbox Type | Planetary pre-stage + harmonic drive |
| Gear Ratio | 160:1 (4:1 planetary × 40:1 harmonic) |
| Continuous Torque (25°C) | 95 Nm |
| Peak Torque (3 s) | 285 Nm |
| Torque Density | 38 Nm/kg |
| Cogging Torque (RMS) | 0.18 Nm |
| Backdrivability | Yes (reduced compliance vs. TK-120/240) |
| No-Load Speed (output) | 0.45 rev/s |
| IP Rating | IP67 (1 m, 30 min) |
| Operating Temperature | -20°C to +70°C |
| Electrical | |
|---|---|
| Nominal Supply Voltage | 48 V DC |
| Supply Voltage Range | 48–72 V DC |
| Continuous Current Draw | 22 A |
| Peak Current (3 s) | 66 A |
| Motor Type | BLDC, outrunner topology |
| Motor Pole Pairs | 14 |
| Motor Resistance (phase–phase) | 0.08 Ω |
| Motor Inductance (phase–phase) | 18 µH |
| Kv (motor constant) | 52 rpm/V |
| Encoder & Control | |
|---|---|
| Encoder Type | Absolute magnetic, 21-bit |
| Encoder Resolution | 21-bit (2,097,152 CPR) |
| MCU | STM32G474 (170 MHz Cortex-M4) |
| FOC Control Loop Rate | 400 Hz |
| PWM Switching Frequency | 40 kHz |
| Position Control Latency | <2 ms |
| Control Modes | Position, velocity, torque, impedance |
| Primary Bus | EtherCAT CoE (100BASE-TX) |
| Secondary Bus | CANopen CiA 402 (1 Mbit/s) |
| EtherCAT DC Sync | Supported — distributed clocks |
| Firmware Update | OTA via EtherCAT FoE or CAN bootloader |
| ROS 2 Node | Included (hardware_interface) |
| micro-ROS Support | Yes — via micro-ROS agent |
| MoveIt 2 SRDF | Provided in SDK package |
| Environmental & Sealing | |
|---|---|
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Submersion depth | 1 m for 30 minutes |
| Seal type | Double lip seal on output shaft; O-ring on endbell join |
| Connector sealing | M12 IP67 rated power and signal connectors |
| Cable gland | IP67 cable gland for EtherCAT and CAN harness |
| Shock resistance | 50 g, 11 ms half-sine (IEC 60068-2-27) |
| Vibration | 20 g RMS, 20–2000 Hz (IEC 60068-2-64) |
Planetary pre-stage + harmonic drive
The TK-480 uses a two-stage gearbox: a 4:1 planetary pre-stage feeding into a 40:1 harmonic drive flex-spline. The planetary stage absorbs the high-RPM motor torque ripple before it enters the harmonic element — reducing cogging transmitted to the output shaft and extending harmonic drive life at high cycle rates.
The compound gearbox increases the 160:1 total ratio without the stiffness tradeoffs of a high-ratio single-stage harmonic. Backdrivability is maintained at low output speeds where impedance control is needed — confirmed on the TK-480 force-sensorless haptics evaluation kit.
- 4:1 planetary pre-stage — grade 5 alloy steel planets
- 40:1 harmonic drive — CupFlex wave generator
- 160:1 total ratio
- Gear mesh frequency: 6.4 kHz at no-load
- Output shaft radial load: 800 N max
Where TK-480 is deployed
Humanoid waist and spine
The waist joint in a 70–90 kg humanoid sees sustained torque demands when the robot bends to pick a floor-level object. TK-480's 95 Nm continuous rating handles this without derating.
Industrial collaborative arm base
Shoulder and elbow joints in a heavy-duty collaborative arm pulling 15–20 kg payload at extended reach. IP67 for wash-down environments in food and pharma facilities.
Exoskeleton hip drive
Lower-limb exoskeleton hip actuation for industrial load assist. Peak torque excursions during stair climb and heavy-object transfer demand the 285 Nm burst capacity.
Wet and outdoor research platforms
IP67 allows field deployment on outdoor quadrupeds and amphibious robots where rain, mud, and shallow water immersion are part of the operating envelope. No conformal coating needed.