New accessories available for both sizes such as end-pieces and adapters as well as fixing elements make the use of the jointed tubing system even more reliable, flexible and convenient.

The jointed tubings from Reiku, which are produced from low-friction, highly impact-resistant, oil and grease-resistant polyamide, combine high life expectancy and mobility with outstanding protection against mechanical loads and other rough environmental influences in industrial production. They are built up in a ‘caterpillar-like’ form from individual joint elements clipped together. Freely rotating against each other, they reliably exclude the possibility of torsional moments in the cable protection.

Furthermore, the bending radii of the jointed tubing are limited to a minimum level dependent on the nominal width. Unlike conventional cable ducts, the wear-intensive bending of the cables is thus avoided. Because the closed construction – without any additional stiffening or struts inside – produces stable statics, the entire inside diameter of the tubing is freely available without restriction to accommodate cable strands or hose lines.

Depending on the overall length of the individual links, the manufacturer is able, to a large extent, to produce lengths individually adapted to the customer’s requirements. For example, a 1,000mm jointed tubing consists of 26 main joints of size 48 or 16 main joints of NW 76, whereby connection pieces mounted on both sides form the respective end-piece.

The smallest possible dynamic bending radii here are 109mm and 200mm respectively. The optional separable design of the main joints of the NW 48 allows the jointed tubing to be opened in the assembled state, for example for replacing cables, subsequent assembly work or regular checks on the cables and lines.

Among the many accessories available for both sizes are, for example, adapters that ensure an unproblematic changeover from the corrugated conduit to jointed tubing. With special protectors, corrugated tubing can be quickly and reliably extended at places subjected to a higher load with the aid of jointed tubing. Easily mounted gripping clamps with support jaws offer a flexible possibility for fixing the jointed tubing. Separable joints allow the application-specific extension of tubing systems, also in combination with closed joints.

Furthermore, separable connectors that can be combined with different end-pieces serve to connect jointed tubing quickly and easily with housings. Special joint connections for robots allow stable, tear-resistant, impact-resistant assembly in the gripping clamp, and can, for example, be combined with a cable star as strain relief. For applications subjected to particularly high mechanical stresses, Reiku has also developed a metal connection fitting with strain relief.

Johann Kasper, who is responsible for robot cable ducts at Reiku, says: “Our jointed tubings have been proving themselves in practice for more than ten years in applications in which corrugated tubing or link chains reach or exceed their loading limits. Their main advantage is their rotatability in the longitudinal axis, which avoids the related torsional moments and stresses. As a result, and because the piping does not bend, the amount of wear and tear is reduced and the life expectancy is extended significantly. For the user, this means fewer downtimes for the production lines and reduced labour costs for replacement.”

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The new LSDFB series is suitable for slow to moderate cobot movement velocities under low load. Fastening is by means of a hook and loop strap which encircles the robot’s arm. Available in two sizes, the LSDFB series can be used for arm diameters from 54 mm to 110 mm and corrugated tubing diameters from NW 17 to NW 29. The associated polyamide (PA) rotary plate means the cable protector can be guided as desired using the REIKU gripping clamps made from the same grade of polymer.

The other new series, MESUB, is designed for the higher dynamic and mechanical loads typical of industrial and palletising robots and combines a stainless steel clamp with pivot bolt screw fastening and a friction-enhancing rubber profile. Available in six variants, it is suitable for robot arm diameters of 54 mm to 108 mm and for fitting all REIKU gripping clamp variants, from NW 17 to NW 90, to the integral general purpose bracket. A special adapter plate allows REIKU rotary flanges to be used under the gripping clamps.

The cobot market is growing in leaps and bounds and analysts estimate it will be worth USD 3 billion by 2020. As Johann Kasper, product manager for robot cable guides at REIKU, explains: “Because many of these systems need to supply compressed air, hydraulic oil, control signals etc. separately to the working heads, they have lines arranged on the outside of the robot arm. REIKU customers can relax, though, because our cable protection conduits and the new fastening systems specifically developed for cobots minimise unscheduled system downtime.”

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The ERIKA active length compensation system unveiled by REIKU moves the dress pack along a linear guide track in synchronism with the robot’s functions, thus balancing out the difference between the maximum cable length and the actual length required at any given time. REIKU says this method results in substantially reduced material wear when compared with conventional trailing-type systems in which the excess cable is retracted via spring forces which act directly on the dress pack and increase with the amount of spring travel.

Accordingly, ERIKA reduces the risk of damage to the dress pack and its content, including cables as well as pneumatic and fluid-carrying hoses. The service life of these systems can thus be extended significantly, and costly down times can be minimized.

ERIKA is available as an accessory for new robot systems or as an add-on retrofit module for corrugated tubing in the 29 to 70mm nominal width range. Depending on the application, it may be configured for between 0.5m and 1m of operating travel, attaining traversing speeds of up to 2m/s. The controller keeping ERIKA in sync with the robot is a straightforward unit relying on defined trigger signals which are transmitted by the robot’s control system as it executes its sequential program. As a result, ERIKA can be integrated into existing installations without requiring any extensive programming.

The ERIKA system consists of five basic elements. The linear guide track with its electric motor and spindle drive is screwed firmly to the robot arm near the axis four. The carriage moving parallel to the robot arm, carrying the REIKU gripping clamp and combination jaw, serves to hold the corrugated tube and to move it axially. The combination jaw allows two corrugated tubes of different type or profile to be joined together. At both ends of the linear unit, a REIKU gripping clamp with sliding jaws guides the corrugated tube. The clamp pointing in the direction of axis six is attached to a rotary flange which provides additional stress relief to the tubing under major deflection angles. The opposite clamp, on the loop side, can be optionally fitted with a REIKU spring to prevent kinking of the corrugated tube. For optimum all-round protection against aggressive ambient factors, REIKU also supplies optional bellows to enclose the linear unit.

Klaus-Peter Scholten, Project Manager at REIKU, comments: “Through our customers, we are very familiar with the issues relating to the indispensable length compensation for dress packs on industrial robots. These packs may be agile enough when it comes to, say, rotating through up to 400 degrees about axis six while bending in axis five at the same time, but as they are often moved against the force of a return spring, fatigue fractures and breakage in the attachment areas are common. These phenomena often result in cable damage which may paralyze entire production sectors.”

Scholten continues: “With ERIKA we have now developed a cost-efficient solution which helps to avoid such failures intelligently. ERIKA knows the current cable length requirement at any given time. Accordingly, the system provides just the amount of cable needed for the current movement of the robot tool. As less cable is demanded, it retracts the excess cable without having to act against the reactive spring forces formerly relied upon. In addition, ERIKA protects the loop from getting snagged on the workpiece or on the robot itself; it also prevents uncontrolled vibrations that might impair the robot’s motion accuracy, and it makes sure the corrugated tube cannot get into hazard areas where it might be at risk from high temperatures or running machinery. The extra cost of an ERIKA system will usually be recovered with the first production breakdown that is successfully avoided.”

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