As well as electrical and pneumatic lines, industrial robots often require feed hoses for bolts, rivets or screws. When robotic arms are moving at high speeds, tight bends or hanging loops can sometimes cause problems; if the energy chain falls below the minimum permissible bending radius of the supply hoses, the worst case scenario is that a rivet or screw may get stuck, which can then lead to plant downtime.
To tackle this issue, igus developed triflex R, a multi-axis cable management and energy supply system specifically for sophisticated 6-axis robotic applications in harsh industrial environments. With over 100 modular components, triflex R avoids looping of the energy chain as it moves, preventing tube blockages from occurring which might otherwise ultimately lead to unplanned and costly machine downtime.
The triflex RS dresspack is a compact universal module that is mounted directly on the robot, with space-saving low installation height to deal with extremely narrow installation space. It includes an integrated pull-back spring to prevent loop formation and there are also pneumatic, elastic and linear alternatives for lightweight and effective retraction systems.
