Certified robotic energy supply system for dry cleanrooms

(See igus at MachineBuilding.Live, 2 October 2024, on stand 56)

With demand for electric cars growing, the demand for high quality lithium-ion batteries is also increasing. These batteries should ideally be manufactured in minimum humidity and particle-free environments, in so-called dry cleanrooms. People are not allowed to spend long periods of time in dry cleanrooms and so automation is needed to take over this role.

For several years, igus has offered a robot energy supply system that works reliably at high speeds and with ever smaller rotation radii with the triflex R: a three-dimensionally movable energy chain made of high-performance plastic for multi-axis robots. However, special applications such as battery production impose higher demands on the machine components used.

With the new triflex R TRC and the associated spring rod module, igus now offers the first robotic energy supply system certified for dry cleanroom applications. It was specially developed for supplying cables to industrial robots used in battery cell production. The ESD certification widens the application possibilities.

ESD material for double safety

The triflex R TRC system consists of two components: a round energy chain with three-dimensional motion and a spring rod module. The e-chain is a closed version of the triflex R, which is made entirely of anti-static ESD material - including end brackets with strain relief, so there is no risk of damage to ESD-sensitive parts due to abrupt discharge.

"We decided to manufacture the triflex R TRC from ESD material from the outset, as this is needed in battery production even more than for dry cleanrooms," explains Justin Leonard, Director of e-chains and cable products at igus UK. "Our high-performance plastic igumid ESD has been tested for over 10 million cycles in our laboratory and has proven itself for years in many applications."

Because triflex is made of igumid ESD, customers benefit in two ways: cost savings, as the material is now part of the standard range, and reliability because the material has been tried and tested for years. igus has other ESD chains in its range as standard. Another advantage of these high-performance plastics is that having integrated solid lubricants means they require no lubricating grease, which would harden in a dry clean room and incur more maintenance costs.

Fast, easy assembly

The triflex R TRC also has a spring rod module, similar to a fishing rod. Two integrated fibreglass rods stabilize the energy chain up to the fifth axis and prevent contact between the robot and the energy chain, allowing for an almost contact-free production process, so that no particles are generated during the rotational movements - particles that would compromise the cleanroom status.

The prefabricated modules allow quick and easy installation. Since there are no points of contact, the energy supply system can also be used with other, separately certified products in the dry cleanroom, offering the customer more flexibility.

Test passed with the highest possible score

The TRC.40 e-chain was tested in a dry clean room at Fraunhofer IPA, the engineering research centre, with a dew point of -40 degC, which corresponds to a relative humidity of less than 1% at a room temperature of 22degC. After the tests, the complete system, including the chain and spring rod module, was the first product of its kind to receive ISO Class 4 certification, the highest result standard available. Only with faster movements (v = 2.0m/s // a = 4.0m/s2) does the system receive ISO class 5.

In addition to the triflex R TRC, the igus E6.29 energy chain also achieved ISO class 4 last year as the first dry cleanroom-certified solution, meaning that these e-chains meet the highest demands for dry cleanroom usage.