Multi-Axis Energy Supply System Body Shell Construction Robots

No Downtime and Over $100,000 Saved Annually Thanks to triflex® R

Harsh operating conditions including space constraints, high acceleration forces and high cycle rates impact the energy supply systems on automotive production robots. In the past, this led to costly downtime of the handling robots, which amounted to a six-figure sum each year. To avoid this expense, MA Automotive Deutschland GmbH converted to low-profile triflex RS cable management systems that can be moved in three dimensions. Since then, plant availability has significantly increased.

Profile

What was needed: triflex R robot dresspack with compact retraction system.
Requirements: the energy supply system had to have a very high tensile strength and a low dead weight. With an acceleration from 0 to 2 m/s, the system has to withstand very high forces as well as adverse environmental conditions such as welding dust.
Industry: Automotive Production
Success for the customer: There is no more system downtime due to broken cable harnesses, all robots operate trouble-free, the investment paid for itself within a very short time.

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Problem

Three press lines and eight body-in-white lines as well as around one hundred robots are in use at MA Automotive Deutschland, the highly complex machine park. The company is part of the CLN Holding (MA Automotive, among others), Italy's largest steel service center based in Turin. The Group has 34 sites in Europe and two production facilities overseas.

At the site in Vogtland, the focus is on the production of individual, structural and outer skin parts made of steel and aluminum.
Fully automated robotic systems dominate the body shop. In one area, a robot is responsible for handling boot lids. Here, unpredictable downtime had frequently occurred, as the original dress pack assembled on the robot by the factory did not withstand the cramped conditions on site. It would get caught and kept tearing off. On average, the entire system was down for 657 minutes per year. This downtime equated to costs of more than $100,000 a year.

The robot services eight different stations in the system. It picks up individual parts very precisely in the devices, guides them towards other devices before stacking the boot lids in two container towers. Due to tight space constraints, components in the plant operate with collision tolerances of up to 3 cm.

As a result, the central requirements for the energy supply system are high. The energy chain system has to feature very high tensile strength and very low weight. At a fast acceleration of 0 to 2 m/s, it also has to withstand very high forces. Added to this are adverse environmental conditions such as welding dust.

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Solution

triflex RS robot dress pack retraction systems have been in use since 2008. This compact universal module guides a dress pack parallel and close to the robot arm in a space-saving manner. It can be installed on the robot quickly and easily. Thanks to its low installation height and tight chain guidance, all robot movements can be performed reliably even in the tightest installation spaces. The grease-free system has an integrated fiber-rod which keeps the dress pack under tension at all times. This way, the dress pack is always guided very close to the robot head, even during complex three-dimensional movements, and no loops or cable stresses are generated.

The triflex R series TRC.70 used in the application ensures high flexibility for complicated movements. The high tensile force absorption of the chains is achieved by the so-called "trailer principle" (similar to the "ball/socket" mechanism). This constitutes an extremely moveable connection that combines smooth movements with optimal traction, ensuring high tensile strength.

This cable management system is shock-resistant, abrasion-resistant, tough and dirt-repellent it withstands the welding dust in rough industry use. Setup times are minimized due to the simple connection and suitable accessories, such as strain relief systems and clamps in this case.
A total of four problem robots were retrofitted with triflex R sets. The previous plant shutdowns have long been a thing of the past. All robots now operate trouble-free and within a very short time the investment had already paid for itself.

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Successfully Retrofitted from Start to Finish

During a meeting on site, the igus representative in charge of energy chain systems was then shown the system. Subsequently, they looked together for the best technical and economic implementation.

The first energy supply system was installed by igus itself within an eight hour time window. After that, the robot had to operate again. Everything worked so smoothly that the customer did the retrofitting of the other three robots himself. The business ratios quickly gave the customer a clear recommendation in favour of the retrofit. With an annual downtime of around eleven hours - equivalent to the cost of more than one shift - the management was quickly convinced.

Altogether there were four problem robots, where we had to deal with extremely tight spatial conditions. They were all equipped with the triflex R set by igus and don't cause trouble any more. The previous plant shutdowns are now a thing of the past.