igus has introduced a new energy supply system for SCARA robots in cleanrooms: the Clean SCARA Cable Solution is made of tribologically optimised high-performance plastics and works almost particle-free, according to ISO Class 2, even in high-speed applications. It is also stronger and more user-friendly than the standard corrugated hoses.
The Clean SCARA Cable Solution ensures particle-free energy supply, even with fast, dynamic movements. [Source: igus GmbH]
In the production of electronic equipment, tiny particles, invisible to the naked eye, can ruin electronic components, semiconductors and displays. It is therefore important that there should be as little friction as possible in machines and systems in order not to contaminate the surrounding air. This is not easy, especially with SCARA robots (selective compliance assembly robot arm, or selective compliance articulated robot arm), which resemble a human arm that moves rapidly along four axes with cycle times of well under a second. There is always a risk that particles may become detached from corrugated hoses and tubes in high-speed applications.
"Finding a way to guide cables and hoses on a SCARA robot in a cleanroom is a science in itself. Fast movements place stress on the material, which releases unwelcome abrasion particles," says Matthias Meyer, Head of the triflex and Robotics Business Unit at igus.
For this reason, igus has added a variant for cleanrooms to its SCARA Cable Solution energy supply system, which it developed in 2020. "The new Clean SCARA Cable Solution is a cleanroom-compatible energy supply system for high-speed applications – reliable, compact, easy to use and quick to retrofit," says Meyer.
ISO Class 2: minimal particles in the surrounding air
The core of the new cleanroom energy supply system is the e-skin soft, a modular energy chain that guides cables and hoses in a sag from the robot's vertical arm to the end effector. Its separable upper and lower shells can be combined to form a closed, dust-proof water-resistant tube. This ensures that particles from the cables and hoses cannot escape into the surrounding air from the inside, even with the wildest movements.
"To reduce stress on the cables and increase their durability, we have provided a rotating mount for the connections to the fixed and moving ends of the energy supply system," says Meyer. "In addition, the rotary bearings are designed to be almost particle-free, even during highly dynamic movements."
The e-chain itself is also especially abrasion-resistant, being made with tribologically optimised high-performance plastic. ISO certification by Fraunhofer Institute experts confirms this. The Clean SCARA Cable Solution is certified as ISO Class 2, which means it is so abrasion resistant that a maximum of 100 particles up to a size of 0.1 microns can be found in one cubic metre of air during operation. For comparison, a standard sheet of paper is 80 microns thick, or 800 times as thick as such a particle.
An alternative to classic corrugated hoses
With its Clean SCARA Cable Solution, igus offers an alternative to the conventional corrugated hoses, and it has two other advantages in addition to cleanroom compatibility. First: the thin corrugated hoses most often used with the SCARA have very little inherent rigidity and are therefore susceptible to kinking. There is no bearing to absorb torsion, so they can tear easily. "Unlike corrugated hoses, the Clean SCARA Cable Solution supports itself and has a unique rotary bearing. This makes it ideal for short unsupported lengths and highly dynamic applications," says Meyer. "The oval chain geometry is especially advantageous when lateral forces are applied, as it offers additional strength." The second advantage is that the zipper principle makes the Clean SCARA Cable Solution easy to open, enabling users to insert cables and hoses quickly. An optional interior separation provides additional protection that corrugated hoses cannot provide.
“On request, customers can receive the new energy chain for cleanrooms as a ready-to-connect complete system with chainflex cables," Meyer adds. Igus offers more than 900 highly flexible cables of IPA Class 1.
For more information visit: www.igus.co.za
