Safe, flexible cable guidance for KUKA articulated arm robots in aircraft construction

Profile

• What was needed: triflex R 3D energy chains; E4/4 energy chain
• Requirements: failure-free supply of a KUKA 125 - 2 with energy and data on axes 1 to 7
• Industry: aircraft construction
• Success for the customer: The triflex R flexibly follows the complex movement of the articulated arm robot. A defined bend radius enormously increases the service life of the guided cables and hoses beyond what a cable protection hose allows.

This KUKA articulated arm robot is used in CFRP processing in the aviation industry. A solution was to be found for cable guidance on axes 2 to 7 and for robot lift and rotation.

Problem

As in the automotive industry, everything in aircraft design is based on tight schedules. So it is not surprising that the failure of an expensive machine or a robot not only greatly delays processes, but also means high costs.
For KUKA articulated arm robot cable guidance, CTC-GmbH, a subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, was concerned with just this issue. Within the Airbus Group, the company specialises in manufacturing development for carbon fibre reinforced polymer processing (CFRP). For particularly lightweight alternatives to milled metallic components, special processes are being developed to reliably produce even load-bearing parts of the aircraft fuselage with cutting-edge carbon fibre technology.
This is just where the robot in question, a KUKA 125 - 2, comes in. Its tool needed to be supplied with energy and data to perform its tasks.

Solution

Since the robot was also to be equipped with a seventh axis and rotates around its own axis, we delivered several energy supply systems to the Airbus subsidiary.
The key component of the cable guidance solution today is a triflex R energy chain for axes 2 to 6, which move three-dimensionally, that is installed directly on the robot arm. The 3D energy chain flexibly handles the industrial robot's complex, jerky rotational and pivoting movements. A defined bend radius also enormously increases the service life of the guided cables and hoses beyond what a cable protection hose allows.
For the linear motion on axis 7, we recommended installing an E4/4 energy chain on a travel of 5m. The especially versatile cable guidance system is easy to install and has a modular design. In this application, the solution meets the need for an especially robust chain with high rigidity.
The cable guidance for the KUKA robot is rounded off with another E4/4 energy chain for the robot's circular movement on the first axis. This allows rotation of 380°.

The hanging KUKA robot can be rotated 380°. This is accomplished with an E4/4 energy chain on the first axis.