Energy chains for highly automated fuel tank production

Basic data

What was needed: Ready-to-install energy chain with robot-compatible cable
Requirements: Savings in design and assembly times, avoid failures
Industry: Robotics
Success for the customer: Cable packages fit straight away and are 100% robot-compatible. There is no downtime, the documentation meets the requirements and the specified delivery times are adhered to.

**About the robots from Bielomatik:**Vehicle fuel tanks (petrol or diesel) are no longer comparable with the sheet metal tanks with filler pipes of the past. Today's plastic fuel tanks are sophisticated parts consisting of up to seven layers to prevent diffusion. Various assemblies are welded to the basic elements. The systems from Bielomatik Leuze GmbH take on this specialised task.

Products used

triflex RSP: pneumatic retraction system

readychain: harnessed, ready-to-install systems

chainflex robot cables

Problem

Bielomatik's problem lay in employing an external service provider who customised the cables in such a way that the connectors supplied did not fit. In addition, the service provider was unable to fulfil the high documentation requirements. The delays led to unplanned downtime and increased construction and assembly times.

Solution

Bielomatik's design engineers use a standardised concept when planning new systems, as every unique system is designed according to general standards. These standards include the use of the triflex® R-energy chain from igus® in combination with the pneumatic retraction system RSP for the energy supply to the robot heads. This system is pneumatically pre-tensioned and moves via a drylin® system from the linear technology programme. The maximum extension length of 600 mm allows safe guidance of the cable and hose, even with complex movement sequences.

The company also relies on the ready-to-install readychain® systems. The complete harnessing of the cable packages is now the responsibility of igus®. Once the standards for the finished systems have been defined, the designer simply selects a "kit" with a standardised cable layout, connector assignment and add-on parts. This not only saves time, but also creates the conditions for uniformly high quality. The documentation meets the requirements 100% and there have been no operational failures.