With your cable robot won the university Duisburg-Essen the material moisture meter shows you the  Igus Vector Award 2014 for the most innovative energy chain application. The Robot uses the “E-spool” energy supply system, which expands the energy chain principle by an additional dimension. The university wants to use its roperobotics-Concept opens up new automation tasks and implements applications that could not be automated before.

Contents

• Rope as a respectable construction element
  • Efficient transport even over longer distances
  • Mobility in the room
• Return spring supports system dynamics
• Industrialization of rope robotics
  • Video for the award ceremony
    
    

Rope as a respectable construction element

A rope is not necessarily the construction tool of choice for an experienced engineer. Only at second glance does it become apparent that there are certainly respectable and frequent uses for ropes. These are examples safest means of transport in the world, the elevator or vertical passenger transport, the cable car as well as classic lifting and conveying technology: most mobile and stationary cranes also work with ropes.

These arguments lead Dr. Tobias Bruckmann and his team often when they present their invention, which is indeed unusual and in need of explanation. The employees of the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Duisburg-Essen have developed a new type of robot that has no portal and no kinksArm is working. Eight to twelve ropes, which are moved by winches, ensure that the load handling device is moved in three dimensions. It goes without saying that a large part of the intelligence and innovation lies in the control technology synchronization of the rope drives.

Efficient transport even over longer distances

What Benefits does such a rope system offer? First of all, the rope robot is much lighter than all other types of robots. The drive only has to move the weight of the transport platform and gripper as well as the load itself. The handling system therefore works very energy-efficiently and dynamically. And while an articulated robot is limited in its reach to perhaps 3 m, a cable robot can also transport heavy loads over distances of 40 or 50 m. In addition, it can be constructed from a few and simple components.

The university has set up a testing system that can be seen in action online. The robot is used here as a storage and retrieval device on a high rack. This is a typical application but not a particularly complex one because the platform only moves in two dimensions. Dr. Tobias Bruckmann: “We can do that with the robot too three-dimensional in space position. All we need are seven or eight ropes and appropriate suspension or deflection points.”

The Igus jury also has this idea Vector Award In 2014 we were impressed and awarded the developers of the cable robot this award as the most innovative energy chain application. One of the numerous detailed tasks that the university's development team had to solve was the supply of energy and signals to the load carrier. It was fitting that the Cologne plastics specialists were able to come up with an innovation at that time that was developed for such applications: the E-spool.

Mobility in the room

This system combines two principles of movable energy supply in one structural unit: a standard energy chain, which is rolled up and unrolled with a roller, and a so-called Twister tape, which guides the cables horizontally. This combination means that movements are possible in two dimensions, similar to a cable drum. With the E-spool, however, not only electrical energy and signals can be transported in a space-saving and flexible manner, but also compressed air and liquids, as it does not require a slip ring.

Harmonic gears for industrial robots, cobots and handling

Thus, the most diverse lines can be connected in a confined space in a system and also exchanged or added at any time. The chain is handled automatically; An integrated return spring always ensures that the energy supply has the correct length and is held in tension. The Twisterband. connects the roller to the shaft bracket, which is the interface to the fixed cables.

Return spring supports system dynamics

The E-spool was included in the standard program of Igus and is available in different extension lengths with one or two Twisterbändern. The maximum extension and retraction speed is 1 m / s.

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The system has proven itself extremely well in the test installation at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Tobias Bruckmann: “The E-spool is hung at a fixed point above the shelf. The chain always follows the load-carrying device. We have taken into account the forces that the chain introduces. We also benefit from the fact that... return spring still supports the dynamics of the system.”

If the cable robots are not supposed to move in two but in three dimensions, the mechatronics engineers at the University of Duisburg-Essen can use a further development of the E-spool, which is currently in the prototype stage: The “Tri-spool” combines the Twister belt with the three-dimensionally movable one “Triflex”Energy chain and allows one more degree of freedom than the E-spool. Both systems use the robot-friendly “Chainflex” “CF Robot” cables, which were specifically developed for mobile applications with high dynamics and many bending cycles.

Industrialization of rope robotics

The University of Duisburg-Essen has been working on this for some time Rope robotics and has already implemented the first applications. For example, in a wind tunnel, the cable robot allows test specimens such as aircraft components to be movably suspended. In addition, different angles can be created without affecting the flow.

Now the mechatronics engineers at the chair want to promote the marketing of the concept and have developed a clear strategy. Dr. Tobias Bruckmann: “We don’t see our system as competition for classic robotics. Rather, we want new ones Automation tasks and realize applications that previously could not be automated – for example in logistics, building cleaning and industrial production.”

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Therefore, the university has formed a consortium with logistics companies that will promote the use of rope robots in this field. In general, the scientists are very optimistic that the new robot concept will be established in the industry: "The attention is there - we have many requests for cable robots and will certainly implement further applications in the near future."

Video for the award ceremony

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