Rotary cable carrier for dynamic x-ray robots

• What was needed: twisterchain®
• Requirements: The cable guide had to have a low installation height and the smallest possible outer diameter. It also had to be able to carry a large number of different media.
• Industry: medical equipment
• Success for the customer: The twisterchain® allows all cables to be guided whilst maintaining a small installation space. The new system saves weight and is self-supporting so there is less strain on the robot.

A cable guide was to be developed for this medical X-ray system which uses a robot. The robot is used for patient positioning and is part of a complete system for cancer therapy using particle beams from Siemens. Because ceiling height was limited, the robot's base frame was removed and instead, the system was mounted from the ceiling. As a result, the overall height was reduced and the X-ray components and the robot energy supply system's range of motion were not restricted. It was important to ensure that the outer diameter was kept as small as possible so that there was no collision between the robot and the cable guide, which had to accommodate a variety of media.

The pioneering approach uses a twisterchain® with part number 4008.15.250/850, but not in the normal installation. Because of the robot's ceiling mounting, the twisterchain® has a stationary upper run and moving lower run. Usually, this is reversed. In this system, chain support for a rotation range of +/-100 degrees moves along with the upper runs.

Another special feature is that two reverse chains are used. This allows all the necessary media lines to run through the cable guide. The number of media and cables exceeded the total weight the robot can carry, so the cable guide was designed to be self-supporting.