Application of Diamond Friction Shims in Robotics: Innovative Solution for Improving Joint Connection Accuracy and Durability

09/12/2026
I. Challenges of Connection Technology in the Robotics Industry

With the further advancement of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing, robotics technology is developing at an unprecedented rate. Ranging from traditional industrial robotic arms to emerging humanoid robots, collaborative robots and medical robots, robots are being widely adopted in manufacturing, logistics, medical treatment, service and other sectors. Nevertheless, as performance requirements for robots keep rising, connection technologies are confronted with new‑found challenges.

Robot joint connections represent one of the most critical segments in robot structures. A typical six‑axis industrial robot contains dozens of key connection points, while humanoid robots feature more than one hundred connection points. These joints must withstand not only static loads, but also dynamic and impact loads generated by high‑speed motion. The reliability of these connections directly determines robots’ motion accuracy, repeat positioning accuracy and service life.

The main challenges for robot joint connections are summarized as follows:

1. High‑precision requirements: The repeat positioning accuracy of robots is generally required to be within 0.02 mm; certain high‑precision applications even demand accuracy up to 0.005 mm. Any micro‑slip on mating surfaces will directly impair the positioning accuracy of the end effector.
2. High‑stiffness requirements: Under high‑speed motion and load variation, elastic deformation at connection joints will trigger vibration and positioning errors. High‑rigidity connections serve as the foundation to guarantee robots’ dynamic performance.
3. Anti‑fatigue performance: Subjected to alternating loads during long‑term reciprocating movement, connecting bolts on robot joints are prone to fatigue loosening and fracture.
4. Space constraints: The inner space of robot joints is limited, which imposes strict dimensional restrictions on connecting components. Maximum connection reliability must be achieved within confined space.
5. Maintenance cost: Robots are mostly deployed on automated production lines, where downtime brings extremely high maintenance costs. Connection systems are expected to support long‑term maintenance‑free operation.

II. Limitations of Traditional Connection Solutions

Common connection schemes applied in the robotics field include plain bolted joints, thread‑locking adhesives, spring lock washers, double‑nut locking and so forth. Practical application reveals the following drawbacks of these solutions:

1. Plain bolted connection: It relies on friction produced by bolt preload to resist shear loads. Due to the low friction coefficient of ordinary mating surfaces, surface slip tends to occur under vibration and impact loads, resulting in bolt loosening and accuracy degradation.
2. Thread‑locking adhesive: Anaerobic adhesive is applied onto threads to prevent bolt loosening. Though delivering decent anti‑loosening effect, it complicates disassembly and is unsuitable for joints requiring regular maintenance. Besides, thread‑locking adhesives have limited temperature resistance.
3. Spring lock washer: It prevents nut rotation by means of elastic tension. However, spring lock washers suffer from elastic attenuation after repeated loading, leading to gradual deterioration of locking performance. Moreover, the notch on the washer may cause stress concentration.
4. Double‑nut locking: Loosening is prevented by compressing two nuts against each other. Despite its simple structure, it occupies substantial space and is not fit for space‑constrained robot joints.
5. Serrated washer: Friction is enhanced via serrated teeth biting into mating surfaces. Nevertheless, the serrations will damage contact surfaces, and the biting effect is poor on soft materials such as aluminum alloy.

Faced with robots’ requirements for high precision, high rigidity and long service life, these conventional solutions gradually show deficiencies. The industry is in urgent need of innovative connection alternatives.

 

 III. Working Principle and Technical Advantages of Diamond Friction Shims


Diamond friction shims are innovative high‑friction‑coefficient connecting components. Its core technology lies in a diamond‑particle composite coating formed on the surface of metal shims. This distinctive structural design enables outstanding performance for robot joint connections.

**Working principle**: When diamond friction shims are clamped between two mating surfaces, diamond particles on the shim will slightly embed into the metallic surface layers of the upper and lower contact faces under bolt preload, creating a mechanical interlocking effect. Such mechanical engagement greatly raises the friction coefficient of mating surfaces and remarkably improves anti‑slip capacity of connections.

Compared with traditional locking solutions, diamond friction shims possess the following technical merits for robotic applications:

1. Ultra‑high friction coefficient: Diamond friction shims achieve a friction coefficient of 0.4‑0.6, 2‑3 times higher than ordinary plain shims. With identical preload, their anti‑slip load can increase by 1‑2 times, effectively suppressing micro‑slip on mating surfaces and securing robot motion accuracy.
2. High connection rigidity: Benefiting from high friction coefficient, diamond friction shims deliver equivalent anti‑slip performance under lower preload, which reduces elastic deformation of connection assemblies and improves overall joint rigidity.
3. Non‑destructive to mating surfaces: The embedding depth of diamond particles generally ranges from several microns to more than ten microns, causing no substantial damage to contact surfaces. Mating surfaces remain usable after disassembly, making them suitable for robot joints requiring periodic maintenance.
4. Adaptive performance: Diamond friction shims are compatible with various mating‑surface materials commonly used in robots, including steel, aluminum alloy and titanium alloy. Stable high friction coefficient can be maintained under diverse surface roughness conditions.
5. Long‑life & maintenance‑free: Diamond coatings feature extreme hardness and excellent wear resistance. No performance degradation occurs under prolonged reciprocating operation, enabling long‑term maintenance‑free service and lowering robot operation‑and‑maintenance costs.
6. Ultra‑thin profile: Diamond friction shims can be manufactured as thin as 0.2 mm, perfectly suited for space‑limited robot joint connections.

IV. Application of Diamond Friction Shims on Key Robot Components

Diamond friction shims deliver remarkable application value on multiple critical robot parts:

1. Joint flange connections: Robot joints are interconnected via flanges subject to massive bending moments and torques. Diamond friction shims effectively boost anti‑slip performance of flange joints, avoid joint accuracy drift and extend maintenance intervals.
2. Reducer mounting connections: RV reducers and harmonic reducers constitute core components of robot joints. The reliability of their mounting connections directly influences transmission accuracy. Diamond friction shims improve connection rigidity of reducer mounting faces, dampen vibration transmission and cut down transmission errors.
3. Motor‑to‑joint connections: Connections between servo motors and joints demand high‑precision alignment and high rigidity. Diamond friction shims guarantee coaxiality between motor output shafts and joint input shafts, and eliminate transmission clearance induced by mating‑surface slip.
4. End‑effector connections: Connections between robot end effectors and wrists require fast swapping and precise positioning. Diamond friction shims enhance connection repeatability and reliability to secure positioning accuracy of end effectors.
5. Base‑to‑ground connections: Joints between robot bases and floors or mounting platforms bear full‑machine weight and dynamic loads. Diamond friction shims stabilize base connections and mitigate vibration during high‑speed robot movement.
6. Humanoid‑robot joint connections: Humanoid robots feature abundant compact‑structured joints under complex loads with stringent requirements for connection reliability. The ultra‑thin geometry and high friction coefficient of diamond friction shims render them ideal for humanoid robot joints.


 V. Technical Advantages and Performance Comparison


To intuitively demonstrate the strengths of diamond friction shims for robotics, comparison against traditional locking solutions is listed below:

- Plain shim: Friction coefficient 0.15‑0.2; locking mechanism: enlarge contact area; low anti‑slip capacity; fair connection rigidity; no damage to mating surfaces; reusable; for light‑duty general connections.
- Spring lock washer: Friction coefficient 0.15‑0.2; locking mechanism: elastic tension; low anti‑slip capacity; fair connection rigidity; indentation damage on mating surfaces; non‑reusable; for light‑duty vibrating scenarios.
- Thread‑locking adhesive: Friction coefficient subject to mating surfaces; locking mechanism: adhesive bonding; medium anti‑slip capacity; good connection rigidity; no surface damage yet difficult disassembly; non‑reusable; for permanent connections.
- Double‑stack self‑locking washer: Friction coefficient 0.2‑0.3; locking mechanism: wedge lifting; medium anti‑slip capacity; good connection rigidity; tooth‑mark damage on mating surfaces; limited reusability; for medium‑duty vibrating conditions.
- Diamond friction shim: Friction coefficient 0.4‑0.6; locking mechanism: mechanical interlocking; high anti‑slip capacity; excellent connection rigidity; only micro‑embedding without substantive surface damage; reusable; ultra‑thin for confined‑space installation; for heavy‑load, high‑precision, high‑vibration robot joint connections.

As indicated by comparison results, diamond friction shims exhibit prominent superiority in friction coefficient, anti‑slip performance, connection rigidity and space adaptability, perfectly satisfying robots’ demands for high precision, high rigidity and long service‑life connections.

 VI. Practical Application Case Studies

 Case 1: Joint‑connection Optimization for a Six‑Axis Industrial Robot

After one‑year operation of six‑axis industrial robots manufactured by one robot producer, degraded repeat positioning accuracy was detected on partial joints. Inspection confirmed micro‑slip on joint flange mating surfaces, giving rise to attenuation of bolt preload.

The technical team trialed diamond friction shims on flange connections of Axis 2 and Axis 3 joints. Following six‑month continuous running tests, joints fitted with diamond friction shims maintained over 98 % preload retention, with repeat positioning accuracy stably kept within 0.01 mm, and no slip trace was observed on mating surfaces. By contrast, joints without diamond friction shims only achieved 85 % preload retention and suffered obvious drift of repeat positioning accuracy.

Estimated calculation shows that diamond friction shims extend robot‑joint maintenance cycles from 6 months to more than 2 years, saving roughly RMB 3 000 in annual maintenance cost per robot unit.

  Case 2: Quick‑Change System for End Effectors of a Collaborative Robot

One collaborative‑robot manufacturer developed an end‑effector quick‑change system requiring repeat positioning accuracy within 0.02 mm. In the original design, plain shims were adopted for quick‑change interfaces, yet tests revealed large fluctuation of repeat positioning accuracy that failed design specifications.

Analysis identified micro‑slip on mating surfaces as the root cause for accuracy fluctuation. The team implemented diamond friction shims on quick‑change interfaces. After 1 000 repeated swapping cycles, repeat positioning accuracy of end effectors stabilized within 0.015 mm, fully meeting design targets.

This quick‑change system has been successfully deployed on multiple collaborative‑robot models of this manufacturer and earned high recognition from customers.

  VII. Selection and Installation Recommendations

To maximize the performance of diamond friction shims in robotic applications, the following selection and installation guidelines should be observed:

1. Dimension selection: Select proper inner and outer diameters for shims according to bolt specifications and mating‑surface sizes. Inner diameter shall be slightly larger than bolt diameter; outer diameter shall match contact‑face dimensions to ensure full coverage of mating surfaces.
2. Thickness selection: Given limited space inside robot joints, ultra‑thin diamond friction shims with thickness of 0.2‑0.3 mm are recommended. For heavily‑loaded joints, standard‑grade shims of 0.4‑0.6 mm thickness are preferred.
3. Preload control: Thanks to elevated friction coefficient after adopting diamond friction shims, bolt preload can be moderately reduced. Nevertheless, preload values per design specifications are still advised. If torque tightening method is adopted, assembly torque shall be recalculated based on actual friction coefficient.
4. Mating‑surface preparation: Remove oil stains, rust and contaminants from mating surfaces prior to installation to guarantee clean and dry contact faces. For coated surfaces, verify compatibility between coatings and diamond particles.
5. Installation sequence: For multi‑bolt joints, tighten bolts symmetrically in progressive steps to achieve uniform stress distribution over mating surfaces.
6. Periodic inspection: Preload inspection is suggested at 1‑month, 3‑month and 6‑month intervals after commissioning, followed by annual checks. Inspection cycles may be appropriately prolonged when diamond friction shims are used.
7. Disassembly and re‑use: Protect diamond coatings on shim surfaces against impact and scratches during disassembly. Shims can be reused if coatings are free from evident damage.

  VIII. Conclusion

As innovative high‑friction‑coefficient connecting components, diamond friction shims deliver effective solutions for connection‑technology upgrading within the robotics industry. Featuring ultra‑high friction coefficient, outstanding anti‑slip performance, high connection rigidity, non‑destructive mating‑surface contact and ultra‑thin form factor, they enjoy broad application prospects on key assemblies such as joint flanges, reducer mounts, motor connections and end‑effector interfaces.

As robotics evolves toward higher precision, higher speed, heavier load and longer service life, traditional connection solutions can hardly satisfy increasingly stringent requirements. Adoption of diamond friction shims not only enhances motion accuracy and reliability of robots, but also cuts operational‑and‑maintenance costs and improves product competitiveness.

As a professional manufacturer of diamond friction shims, DAOLER is dedicated to supplying high‑quality connection solutions for the robotics sector. Our products adopt advanced diamond‑particle composite technology with strict control over particle size, distribution density and bonding strength, ensuring stable and reliable performance of every shim for high‑precision robot connections. Robot manufacturers, system integrators and component suppliers are welcome to contact us to jointly drive innovation and advancement of robot connection technologies.
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