Cable Management for Injection Molding Robots

What was needed: Lateral energy supply for axes 2-6 on a robot combined with a linear retraction system

Requirements: Operational safety in an industrial environment when using hydraulic and hot water hoses in combination with electric cables

Industry: Robotics, injection molding

Success for the customer: Reliable and safe guidance of three media such as electricity, hot water and hydraulics within a single system but separated into three different chambers

Cable routing in injection molding applications is typically customized and securely arranged to meet the specific requirements of each machine. Effective operation requires several different media to be supplied simultaneously, including electrical power, data transmission, hydraulics, and water. At ROBIN, for example, four hydraulic circuits alone require a total of eight hydraulic hoses. In the past, Dr. Stegelmann's team routed these lines through corrugated tubing, a solution that proved adequate for laboratory testing but could not provide the durability, organization, and reliability needed for industrial production environments.

The biggest challenge here is operational safety: the proximity of hydraulic lines to hot water and power lines in the same hose increases the risk of failure, especially in moving systems such as robot arms. As the application developed, it became clear that a more professional solution was needed than a conventional corrugated tube.

The multi-dimensional cable management solution, triflex® R significantly increases operational safety and is particularly suitable for robotics applications.

The triflex R systems TRLF.100.145.0 and TRCF.100.145.0 enable separate cable routing within the dress pack thanks to the three chambers. In addition, both products are easy to insert, replace and access cables thanks to their snap-lock mechanism.

Unlike conventional hoses, these triflex® R dress packs have a fixed bend radius of 145 mm which ensures a longer service life for the cable and hose, as they are not bent below this dimension. You can find out how the corrugated hose and triflex® R chain behave in direct comparison here. For maximum maneuverability of the robot arm, the Kuka was also equipped with a linear retraction system (TR.RSE.100) on the third axis. The retraction system is based on a linear rail in conjunction with a rubber band, which brings the chain links back to their starting position. The tensile force of the rubber band can be adjusted in two strengths.

A heavy-duty mounting bracket (TR.100.23.32) with radius support is used on the sixth axis, where the injection molding tool is located and all cables and hoses are guided out of the chain. chainfix® strain relief clamps ensure a strong fixation and minimize the stress on the cable and hose.