Reliable energy supply at maximum process speed

Laser welding robots must work extremely precisely at a high process speed. In order to be able to produce successfully and cost-effectively,  sensitive production technology of this kind requires reliable components in order to reduce errors to a minimum. The company Flexweld Robotic Welding in the Netherlands was looking for a complete system for safe guidance of all energy cables (sensors, CCD camera, shock sensors, line pilot laser), cooling tubes (water cooling) and air hoses (cross-jet/protective gas) in one energy supply system.
 
The requirements for the system:
low weight, high flexibility, reliable service life, protection of the cables from sharp edges (robot contours), protection from strong impacts, standard fastening options for a Motoman UP 20 robot and availability of spare parts at short notice.

In addition, a guide for the fibre optics had to be found. The fibre optics for transporting the laser beam is a very expensive and most sensitive part of the system. The minimum bend radius of the fibre is 200mm. Since the energy cables, hoses and tubes in the energy chain have a bend radius of less than 200mm, the fibres cannot be laid together in the same energy chain. However, all cables should be  brought together at the same point near the welding head.
 
The solution:
A triflex R FlexBar spring module for the optical cables and a triflex R TRC module for the other cables. With the new components, the production laser works reliably at maximum process speed.