Wednesday 30 April 2014

igus's new direct-driven articulated arm supports lean automation

Gripping, turning, pivoting, picking up and putting down again, then returning back to the starting position – articulated arms in industrial robotic systems perform the exact same movement time after time. For this purpose, igus has developed the new modular and cost-effective robolink D. In this new system, the robolink articulated arm is driven directly by positioning the motor directly on the axle. The new development is based on igus’ line of self-lubricating PRT slewing ring bearings, which are installed in a plastic housing.


The system is driven by a worm gear drive and a NEMA 17 or 23 stepper motor. These and other engines are controlled with commercially available standard control modules. The new robolink D system differs from previous igus robotics in its drive technology. Until now, the stepper motors were not placed in the robotic arm itself, but instead in a separate drive unit, driven by means of rope hoists coupled to it. This has the advantage of keeping the system very lightweight. and the direct drive makes the robolink articulated arm tougher and more durable, opening up more opportunities for lean automation. Here, robots carry components from cell to cell. This allows manufacturers to respond to adaptations more flexibly, and to achieve a significant cost savings. 



                        igus's new direct-driven articulated arm supports lean automation

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The robolink D articulated arm system is driven directly by a motor on the axle. The basis of the joint is an igus self-lubricating PRT polymer slewing ring. (Source: igus GmbH)


Robolink joint systems from igus>>>>

The robolink D system is available in three sizes, and can also be combined using plastic or aluminum fasteners, taking articulated arms from one axis to as many as six. This, like other robolink products from igus, is a modular joint kit, perfect for individually implementable robotic systems. The joints and components of both robolink systems are able to be combined freely with one another. Whether used in individual components, or as a complete system, the modular design allows a high degree of flexibility to be maintained.

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About igus India
igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® spherical bearings, DryLin® linear bearings & guide systems enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

igus India: Vector award 2014: The winners have been chosen

Exciting, unusual and exemplary. Every two years igus GmbH accords the vector award in recognition of special applications with energy chain systems. This time among them were interesting solutions from around the world showing the immense diversity of applications with energy chains. The winners from the 195 submissions from 28 countries were presented at the Hanover Show 2014.

The great variety of applications in mechanical and plant engineering submitted for the fourth vector award, even featured a small and delicate low profile chain in a CNC hybrid machine right through to a large heavy-duty energy chain with 500 metres of travel in a coking plant. The jury, consisting of representatives of specialist media, business and research, had the difficult task of choosing the winners from among the 195 entrances. Applicants from Canada to South Korea display the versatile and high-power potentials of plastic energy chains. The vector trophy and prize money of 1,000 to 5,000 Euros were distributed as awards at the Hanover Show.

Extraordinary storage and retrieval unit is gilded>>>
The winner of the golden vector this year is the University of Duisburg-Essen. A high-bay warehouse system was developed that works fast, saving space. A transport platform with a gripper moves from one point of the shelf to the other via eight wire ropes clamped in a parallel motion. In order to prevent the required cables from interfering with the rapid movements, they are wound and unwound on an e-spool and securely guided within the energy chain.

Silver vector for high-speed application>>>
This time the silver goes to the company FronTone from Austria. In this lightning-fast application, one to two high-speed cameras with up to 750 m/s² acceleration reached a speed of 21 m/s on a carbon carrier system. This is necessary due to the cameras being used in crash tests of vehicles and vehicle parts thus the motor, feedback and camera cables can be carried smoothly.

Bronze for metalworking>>>
The Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG was awarded the 2014 bronze vector for its servo-controlled punching and bending machine. Here a number of different igus energy chains with reverse bending radius are used, which protect the cables routed to the individual units from dirt and damage caused by punching slugs.

Special vector for a special stage show>>>
A special mention was granted by the jury to the submission of Wicreations from Belgium. The company’s spotlight installation was used during the South American tour of the Mexican singer Alejandro Fernandez. These so-called "Venetian blinds" consist of five individual boxes, each with three moving spotlights. The individual boxes that can be adjusted separately,are also dynamic and interconnect by zigzag chains from igus to supply energy and data to the spotlights.

All information about the competition and the whole range of all submissions - including those from the past few years - are available at http://www.igus.in/wpck/3338/vectoraward

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Every two years, the igus GmbH presents the vector award in recognition of special applications with energy chain systems. A total of 195 participants from 28 countries participated in 2014. (Source: igus GmbH)

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The winners of the 2014 vector award were honoured at the Hanover Show. From left to right: Harald Nehring, igus GmbH, Dieter Bencer, igus Austria (representative for the company FronTone GmbH, silver vector), Dr. Tobias Bruckmann, Universität Duisburg-Essen (golden vector), Norbert Muche, Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG (bronze vector). (Source: igus GmbH)

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Gold for storage and retrieval system in this application of the University of Duisburg-Essen, an e-spool from igus ensures that the energy chain is guided securely during the movement of the transport platform. (Source: igus GmbH)

About igus Indiaigus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymerbearings, igubal® spherical bearings, DryLin® linear bearings & guide systems enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.