One of many key necessities is that they have to be adaptable sufficient to be used in several work environments, and never simply deal with a variety of duties. Cobots utilized in a welding cell in the present day, for instance, ought to be capable to work on a packaging line per week from now. This places vital calls for on their software profile.
November 14, 2023 – Versatile and wear-resistant with minimal frictional losses – these have been the necessities offered to Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences for the event of a brand new seal to be used in cobots. The versatile robotic arms thus turned the motive force for an entire redesign.
At this time’s trade can now not get round using cobots. These versatile, quick machines work hand-in-hand with individuals in lots of actions. One of many key necessities is that they have to be adaptable sufficient to be used in several work environments, and never simply deal with a variety of duties. Cobots utilized in a welding cell in the present day, for instance, ought to be capable to work on a packaging line per week from now. This places vital calls for on their software profile.
Aggressive Benefit As a result of Proper Seal That is why one producer went searching for a sealing answer to guard all its cobots’ joints from mud, spraying water and different contamination reliably and over the lengthy haul. Easy PTFE rings have been used so far in order that effectivity, power consumption and the robotic arms’ pace of movement will not be overly compromised. Nonetheless, the rings weren’t capable of assure the required IP54 safety class. Excessive journey speeds and the forces generated within the robotic arm additionally create an atmosphere with temperatures as excessive as 60° C (140 °F). A seal not solely has to resist these temperatures long-term however extraordinarily low materials elongation is necessary as nicely to ensure performance in every working mode and in any respect temperatures.
The event accomplice turned to Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences because of its excellent popularity and improvement experience. As a primary step, the sealing consultants offered a u-ring fabricated from polyurethane (PU). However in sensible assessments, the frictional forces proved to be too nice because of its comparatively massive floor. These forces weren’t presupposed to exceed 1 newton meter. This extraordinarily low worth made it essential to considerably scale back the radial forces and on the similar time additionally of contact stresses on the dynamic seal lip.
A New Improvement Assembly Stringent Necessities Within the subsequent step, the sealing consultants modified the general geometry to a z-profile and built-in a second groove. This enormously lowered the contact strain and met the requirement for a second of friction of lower than 1 newton meter. Within the sensible check, nonetheless, the extent of damage was nonetheless far too excessive. This was primarily as a result of cobots’ light-weight, largely aluminum building. The floor of the fabric is comparatively tough as a result of strategies used throughout its processing and its primary traits. As an answer, Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences developed a three-component stable movie lubricant coating with excessive carbon content material. The coating made it attainable to additional scale back the quantity of damage.
With a Shore hardness of 92, the fabric in query, 92 AU 21101, may be very gentle and versatile. Nonetheless, its tensile power is 59 MPa, placing it considerably above the required minimal stage of fifty MPa. At minimal elongation, elements fabricated from 92 AU 21101 could be relied on in temperatures starting from -50°C to +110°C. Their conformity with RoHS, 2015/863/EU and 2011/65/EU is unrestricted and unconditionally legitimate.
Improvement Experience Meets Categorical Service In response to modifications within the cobot’s design, the seal geometry needed to be fully reworked as soon as once more. For the ultimate model, Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences chosen a z-geometry with an extra optimized dynamic seal lip. A static space with a groove was constructed externally. Because of the systematic use of FEA calculations for the lip thickness and a later simulation, it was attainable to attain vital financial savings as pointless course of steps have been eradicated. The implementation with the assistance of Freudenberg Xpress® as a service supplier supplied quick responses and brief improvement instances all through the method. Freudenberg Xpress® produces inexpensive, high-value CNC-turned sealing options. It not solely manufactures prototypes – it handles small manufacturing runs and one-offs economically and shortly as nicely. Right here Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences applies the identical requirements that it makes use of for large-scale manufacturing. It has established processes for high quality assurance and lab testing, together with complete on-site service in a lot of the world. This permits Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences to design, simulate and ship options within the occasion of requirement modifications inside two weeks.
Creating a brand new finest apply, the robotic producer has determined to combine companions comparable to Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences into the event course of for its merchandise at a really early stage. Their collective expertise makes it attainable to contemplate many extra parameters upfront, which results in shorter improvement instances and fewer correction cycles. The product can also be prepared for the market sooner.
Product developer Alexander Could summed up the benefits of combining in-house improvement experience with the companies of Freudenberg Xpress®: “We will react and ship the product shortly. That’s not only a actual benefit that our clients admire in periods of worldwide bottlenecks. We arrive personally on website in brief order and work straight on particular challenges worldwide, which all the time ends in optimistic suggestions. In a world of extremely automated mass manufacturing, we’re lively in an space that many different producers don’t discover engaging: one-off merchandise and brief manufacturing runs. When that is mixed with our knowhow and the identical high quality requirements as with large-scale sequence manufacturing within the thousands and thousands of items, it’s a door opener.”
The underside line for the robotic producer: The corporate is extraordinarily gratified with the outcomes of the event work. Because of the event experience of Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences, the vary of functions is now a lot wider for the cobots. The excessive diploma of flexibility shouldn’t be solely maintaining customers pleased – it’s opening up new market segments as nicely.
About Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences is a longstanding know-how skilled and market chief for classy and novel functions in sealing know-how and electrical mobility options worldwide. With its distinctive supplies and know-how experience, the corporate is a confirmed provider for demanding merchandise and functions, in addition to a improvement and repair accomplice to clients within the automotive industries and typically industries. In 2022, Freudenberg Sealing Applied sciences generated gross sales of about 2.45 billion euros and employed roughly 13,500 individuals. Extra info at www.fst.com.
The corporate is a part of the worldwide Freudenberg Group which has 4 enterprise areas: Seals and Vibration Management Expertise, Nonwovens and Filtration, Family Merchandise in addition to Specialties and Others. In 2022 the Group generated gross sales of greater than 11.7 billion euros and employed greater than 51,000 associates in round 60 international locations. Extra info is out there at www.freudenberg.com.