Intelligent robot cable predicts the future

  Within automation in industry, the number and speed of machine movements are increasing while the degree of networking in the factory is also increasing. Thanks to the world’s largest range of Ethernet cables for e-chains, including a unique 36-month guarantee, even the most complex applications can be networked reliably in the smart factory. The next step was shown at this years Hannover Messe 2016 in Germany: the intelligent robot cable that warns users before a cable failure occurs.
Standard Ethernet cables are mostly used where the cable is fixed in place. However, they only have a very limited service life when used in dynamic applications. The largest range of Ethernet cables developed by igus for energy chains includes 27 types of copper cable and FOC as well as 422 pre-assembled Ethernet cables, all of which have optimum transmission qualities in moving applications. With this product range, igus covers the increasing variety of applications in the area of Industry 4.0 – from simple linear movement in dusty woodworking machines to complex 3D movements when connected to cleanroom robots, and from the smallest bending radii to longest travel distances. And this will also be available soon as a “smart” solution. At Hannover Messe 2016 in Germany, igus presented a moving cable that permanently monitors itself. “The intelligent robot cable predicts the future,” explains Rainer Rössel, Head of the Chainflex Cables Business Unit. If certain parameters are exceeded during use, the cable gives a warning and does not wait until an actual failure occurs; the warning indicates that the cable must be replaced within the next four weeks. “In this way, we are making a substantial contribution towards preventive maintenance and thus to increased plant availability,” says Rössel.
A high degree of networking calls for reliable supply solutionsCables optimised for movement also require optimised supply solutions for movement. And they must be tailored to the specific requirements in each case, whether for the individual machine or in the factory. For instance, triflex, an e-chain series available by igus, was developed for 3D movement of cables on robots. With the micro flizz system, for example, FOC cables can be used instead of bus bars to reliably supply data to storage and retrieval equipment with transmission rates even greater than the usual 100 Mbit/s. Reliable and uninterrupted high-speed data transmission is also possible with the d-rover. The system can be coupled to port cranes or RTGs and achieves a data transfer rate of 10 Gbit/s using FOC cables over a travel distance of more than 800 metres.

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