Failure-free assembly: 3D energy chains on spot welding robots in vehicle construction

Flexible and reliable in use: triflex 3D energy chain reduces downtime in assembly line

For these spot welding robots in vehicle construction, downtime was drastically reduced by using a triflex R energy chain. The difficult movement geometry with 550 welding points per part led to many cable ruptures. The failure of this robot led to the failure of the entire assembly line every time. The triflex R follows every movement and guides the cables safely. Failures have dropped to zero.

Profile

What was needed: triflex R 3D energy chains
Requirements: 550 welding points per body part demand the most difficult movements from the robots, so an exceptionally flexible and reliable permanent solution was sought.
Industry: automotive industry
Success for the customer: the new 3D energy chain handles even the most demanding movements with ease and guides all cables safely; there has not been a single failure since its use, saving the customer time and money.

Problem

In this semi-automated assembly line in the automotive industry, Fanuc S430i-W robots are used for welding work on the car body. Two such spot-welding robots are used at one station to process the car body. However, with 550 welding points per body part, the most difficult movements are demanded of the robots, which require the highest flexibility in application. In the past, this led to many cable ruptures, but these must be avoided at all costs. Because at this particularly important station within the assembly line, even one minute of robot failure can lead to the failure of the entire assembly line. In order to avoid high costs in the future and to be able to guarantee safe operation in the long term, a maintenance-free and trouble-free new cable solution was therefore sought.

Solution

The company VE Commercial Vehicles opted for a triflex R energy chain due to the high requirements for the movements of the robot arms. The 3D chain has been in use on the assembly line since 2008 and safely guides and protects the robots' cables. It has been specifially developed for demanding multi-axis robots and easily handles complex rotating and pivoting movements in 3D applications. The triflex combines high tensile force absorption with high flexibility, which allows a twist of approx. ± 10° per chain link in the longitudinal axis. A defined bend radius ensures a particularly long service life of all guided cables and hoses.
And the change has paid off for the customer: since the use of the triflex energy chains, there have been no more failures, which saves valuable time and costs in operation. The investment could be paid off after only a short time.

Overview of triflex® R 3D energy chains