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Supply: igus

igus is launching a brand new vitality provide system for SCARA robots in cleanrooms: the Clear SCARA Cable Resolution is made from tribologically optimized high-performance plastics and works nearly particle-free based on ISO Class 2 even in high-speed functions. It is usually stronger and extra user-friendly than traditional corrugated hoses.

In electronics manufacturing, tiny particles invisible to the bare eye can wreak havoc, ruining digital elements, semiconductors, and shows. Due to this fact, it’s crucial that machines like SCARA robots, which transfer quickly alongside 4 axes in underneath a second, generate as little friction and contamination as potential.

Throughout these high-speed functions, there’s at all times a danger that tiny particles will detach from corrugated hoses and tubes. Sustaining ultra-clean manufacturing situations is important to forestall microscopic contaminants from damaging electronics.

Simply as microscopic particles can silently destroy manufacturing in electronics, contamination is a continuing menace that should be guarded towards vigilantly. With machines transferring at excessive speeds beneath a second, any friction dangers releasing particles that would doubtlessly wreck delicate electronics and elements. By minimizing contamination, producers can keep away from catastrophic harm on the smallest scales.

“Discovering a method to information cables and hoses on a SCARA robotic in a cleanroom is a science in itself. Quick actions are pure stress for the fabric, which releases unwelcome abrasion particles,” says Matthias Meyer, Head of the triflex and Robotics Enterprise Unit at igus.

Because of this, igus has added a cleanroom variant to the SCARA Cable Resolution vitality provide system, which it initially developed in 2020.

“The brand new Clear SCARA Cable Resolution is a cleanroom-compatible vitality provide system for high-speed functions – dependable, compact, straightforward to make use of, and fast to retrofit,” says Meyer.

ISO Class 2: hardly any particles within the surrounding air, even with the wildest actions
The core of the brand new cleanroom vitality provide system is the e-skin comfortable, a modular e-chain cable provider that guides cables and hoses in an arc from the robotic’s vertical arm to the top effector. Its separable higher and decrease shells might be mixed to kind a closed, dust-proof, waterproof tube. This ensures that particles from the cables and hoses don’t get into the encompassing air from the within – even throughout the wildest actions.

“To scale back stress on the cables and enhance their sturdiness, we have now offered a rotating mount for the connections to the fastened and transferring ends of the vitality provide system,” says Meyer. “That’s what is particular in regards to the vitality provide system. On the identical time, the rotary bearings are designed to be nearly particle-free, even throughout essentially the most dynamic actions.”

The e-chain itself can also be particularly abrasion-resistant because of tribologically optimized high-performance plastic. Its ISO certification by Fraunhofer Institute specialists confirms this. The Clear SCARA Cable Resolution has ISO Class 2, which means that it’s so abrasion-resistant {that a} most of 100 particles as much as a dimension of 0.1 microns might be present in one cubic meter of air throughout operation. For comparability, a sheet of paper is 80 microns thick, or 800 occasions as thick as a particle.

Clear SCARA Cable Resolution as an alternative choice to traditional corrugated hoses
With its new vitality provide system, igus gives an alternative choice to traditional corrugated hoses, which has two different benefits apart from cleanroom compatibility. First, the skinny corrugated hoses most frequently used with the SCARA have hardly any inherent rigidity and are, subsequently, vulnerable to kinking. There isn’t a bearing to soak up torsion and may tear simply.

“In contrast to corrugated hoses, the Clear SCARA Cable Resolution helps itself and has a novel rotary bearing. This makes it splendid for brief unsupported lengths and extremely dynamic functions,” says Meyer. “The oval chain geometry is particularly advantageous when lateral forces are utilized because it gives further power.”

Normal SCARA vitality provide options use static connections on the transferring and stuck ends. This results in pointless fatigue on the corrugated tube at each factors and elevated put on on the cable bundle. The Clear SCARA Cable Resolution makes use of rotary connections at each ends, which all however eliminates mechanical stress on the vitality provide system. With the excessive speeds seen in Scara functions, this enchancment is a recreation changer.

The second benefit over the corrugated hose is that the zipper precept makes the Clear SCARA Cable Resolution straightforward to open, enabling customers to insert cables and hoses rapidly. An optionally available inside separation offers further safety that corrugated hoses can’t. Upon request, the shopper can obtain the brand new cleanroom vitality chain as a ready-to-connect full system with igus chainflex cables. Greater than 900 extremely versatile cables of IPA Class 1 can be found.