Application | Compact Robots

Compact robots from Comau provide extra cabling challenges.

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ROBOTS LIVE LONGER WITH LAPP Industrial robots from Comau, a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, are particularly durable. This is in no small part thanks to cables from LAPP. Comau intends to expand their small robotic series, Racer, to handle applications outside of the automotive industry, but their compact design brings new challenges for cabling. / ///////////////////////////////////////////

INCREASING DEMAND FOR FLEXIBILITY AND DURABILITY Comau is well prepared for the upcoming changes in automotive manufacturing. Up to now, they replaced their production systems according to the end-product life cycle. For example, a vehicle model generally has a five-year run, then its successor is designed and with it new machines and robots are introduced to the factory. But this is about to change. Robots have to be so flexible and durable that they can be continually adapted over multiple product cycles. Some robot manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reorganize their business model and to produce smaller and more flexible kinematics. Comau, however, is ahead of the curve; they already supply robots with the required flexibility and durability. They are also ahead by designing compact robots that are just as durable as their big brothers. They are expanding to more and more sectors outside of the automotive industry, such as electronics manufacturing or in pick-and-place applications. The same assembly line producing a smartphone today will service a TV device tomorrow. While this is still just a vision, such scenarios will become reality in the not too distant future as the Industrial Internet of Things promotes development highly flexible manufacturing — and with it, smaller robots. The trend towards miniaturization is a challenge for cabling, as a compact robot also requires compact cables. As the technology leader for connection solutions, LAPP started early in developing space-saving versions of its cables without neglecting their widely-rated durability. Comau’s Racer series is the successful outcome of these efforts.. COMPACT ROBOTS REQUIRE THINNER CABLES The arms and motors of the Comau Racer are smaller than those of the robots in the automotive industry due to their lower load-bearing capacities. Due to the fact that smaller motors require less power, the cables can be somewhat thinner. However, that alone is still not sufficient to save enough space; further constructional measures are required. These intricacies are hidden in the cable interior. The cross-section of the servo cables that control the motors is thinner due to lower motor power. There is no difference between the conductor insulators; since the

Eight million cycles — ten million if things go well — then the first downtime or repairs are required for most industrial robots. This is because cables are worn due to the continuous friction in their interior and recurrent dynamic bending after so many bending and torsional movements. In fact, they are the weakest link in a robot. But there is another way, as Comau and LAPP prove. The Italian company manufactures robots for moving heavy parts or welding as well as conveyor systems, predominantly for the automotive industry. Their durability is legendary in this field. By contrast, the new series of small robots by Comau focuses on flexibility and speed. The Racer series – which is used in a number of applications, including handling and assembly – consists of robots with particularly compact designs. They are suitable for carrying loads of 6 to 15.5 lbs and feature a high level of precision and motion speed. LAPP developed adequately space-saving yet highly mobile cables for this series.

The Comau Racer 7 has a load-bearing capacity of 15 lbs (7 kg). Its arms and motors are smaller than other robots in the automotive industry.

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LAPP 29 Hanover Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932 T. 800 774 3539

operating voltage is the same, there is no leeway for thinner insulation there. The insulation material is also a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), as is the case for many other cables for robotics. The secret of a highly mobile servo cable also lies in its filling material — components that do not have any electrical function. The cable contains nylon threads that are weaved into the bunch and hold the conductors in place, even if the cable is twisted or bent. This prevents the individual conductors from rubbing together and thus wearing out the insulation material. Another measure to increase the cables’ lifespan is to wrap banding made from slippery non-woven plastic around the conductors to further reduce the friction and extend durability. WITH UL CERTIFICATION ON REQUEST The most amount of material can be saved on the cable. However, its electrical and mechanical characteristics must not suffer as a result. What’s more, LAPP can supply Comau with cables with UL certification for use in the North American market, which has more stringent standards for fire behavior and chemical resistance than in Europe. “Thinner jacket but better fire behavior – that can only be achieved with a truly high-end material,” said Frank Rothermund, Robotics Market Manager at LAPP in Stuttgart. Despite all of the progress, there is still room for more, states Rothermund. Comau will continue to challenge LAPP, who is very well- equipped for this thanks to a special feature that is unique worldwide in the cable industry: prototype production for robot cables. While competitors only produce cable prototypes in thousands of feet, LAPP offers sample production from only 300 feet. Such trials of new cables are necessary to test their characteristics. The samples are tested at LAPP facilities and again at the user’s premises in realistic tests for their bending and torsional durability, as occur in robots. From this it can be concluded how long the cable will last in real usage. Comau took advantage of that testing capability for their Racer robot. Buyers can thus be sure that their Racer will provide years of service without breakdowns – a true endurance racer amongst robots.

A SLAM DUNK Visitors to LAPP’s booth at Hannover Messe 2016 were treated to an impactful demonstration of what the Racer is capable of. The Racer 7 threw one basketball after the other precisely into a basket and out-did all the visitors that had the courage to face off against it. Only on the market for a few years, the Racer 7 model has a 7 kg (15.5 lb) load-bearing capacity. Since then, Comau has launched the Racer 3 and Racer 5 with 3 and 5 kg load-bearing capacities, respectively.

The Comau Racer 7 wows audiences at Hannover Messe.

www.lappusa.com www.lappcanada.com

LAPP 29 Hanover Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932 T. 800 774 3539

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