Cable guidance in the tightest of installation spaces: moving robots for sensor technology

Energy chains in robots for the development of sensor technology for the automotive industry

This vehicle is a robot that is used to develop intelligent sensors for motor vehicles. With its four individually steerable wheels, it can move in any direction and around any rotation angle. The special feature: the energy supply of the motor, which moves 360° in a frame, must be implemented in the smallest possible space. An igus e-chain E2 mini that rolls up and down easily accommodates it and ensures the supply of power to the motor.

Profile

What was needed: E2 mini energy chain
Requirements: a very light cable solution was sought that could be installed in a very confined installation space
Industry: automotive industry
Success for the customer: thanks to its particularly space-saving design and the narrow bending radius , the E2 mini guides the 2 cables of 13mm for the motor energy and 8mm for the resolver in a space-saving and safe way.

Problem

It is used in the automotive industry to test intelligent sensor systems for vehicles. All four wheels of the robot are controllable, allowing it to move in any direction at any rotation angle. The remote-controlled system is powered by a 30 KW battery pack at 250V voltage, weighs 480kg, reaches a maximum speed of 50km/h and a maximum acceleration of 10m/s². The problem to solve was to route the resolver signal and power from the drive motor to the motor control system in the frame, and to do this while the steering motor rotates the drive motor structure through ± 360°. The cable solution also had to be implemented in the smallest possible installation space and be particularly light.

Solution

To solve the problem, the customer opted for an energy chain that can rotate up or down. To be more precise, the E2 mini energy chain is used today, a particularly space-saving chain in which the 2 cables of 13mm for the motor energy and 8mm for the resolver fit well. Mounted on the steering axis, they cope well in the exceptionally low installation space. To support the length of the energy chain, it runs in a box mounted on each steering axis. The cables come in at the side of the box and run over into the energy chain. At the end of the energy chain, the cables lead to the motor and the resolver.

E2 mini - 개요