When the robot monitors itself

Unplanned downtime in automation not only costs time but also money – especially in the automotive industry. With the new TR.P sensor, Igus is launching a smart solution for industrial robots that actively monitors triflex energy chain systems and reacts immediately to critical tensile forces. The system detects potential damage early, increases operational reliability, and provides support during commissioning through condition monitoring.

Industrial robots are indispensable in automotive production. They weld, bond, and paint. To ensure their cables move safely even under extreme torsional and tensile loads, three-dimensional energy chains from the triflex series by Igus come into play. With the appropriate highly flexible chainflex cables, they supply the robot with power, data, and signals. However, an unplanned downtime can quickly become expensive. "It costs €600 per second when a robot in an automotive plant cannot perform its work," says Richard Habering, Head of the smart plastics business unit at Igus. Therefore, the motion plastics specialist has developed a new sensor specifically for its three-dimensional triflex energy chain to monitor tensile forces. The i.Sense TR.P system measures the tensile forces occurring at the robot head using a load cell and triggers an action via a potential-free contact if predefined maximum values ​​are exceeded – this could be, for example, a notification to the operator or even a robot stop.

Condition Monitoring: detecting errors during commissioning

"With our i.Sense module and the modular sensor system on the triflex drive arm, users can detect critical movement patterns and identify and prevent damage such as overbending, overextension, or even pinching at an early stage," explains Richard Habering. Igus sees great potential for the system, especially during robot commissioning. The TR.P can serve as a measuring system to identify problematic movement patterns when using hose packages during the programming phase and to find solutions before damage occurs.

In addition to monitoring tensile forces, Igus has offered the TR.B system for breakage detection since 2022, which is already successfully used in numerous applications worldwide. If a chain link breaks, the system detects the change in length of the rope installed in the chain and sends a digital signal to the machine control system. This lightning-fast breakage detection enables immediate maintenance measures and can thus prevent unplanned downtime and total failures caused by individual chain link breaks. The i.Sense TR.B sensor is connected directly to the PLC controller without additional hardware costs or complex programming. A simple alarm notification, for example via a signal light, is also available as an option.

Superwise: increase operational reliability and relieve the burden on customers

With Superwise, Igus also offers an after-sales service concept for its smart plastics. It combines the digital condition monitoring of the i.Sense sensors with predictive maintenance. The goal is to avoid unplanned downtime, relieve the burden on maintenance teams, and significantly extend the lifespan of machine components – without high investments. To achieve this, customer i.Sense data is securely integrated into the igus CRM system. The igus service team gains complete transparency and can initiate targeted measures, such as early contact in the event of unusual sensor readings, suggestions for maintenance or cleaning, scheduling and coordination of inspections and replacements, and a direct ordering function for rapid replenishment.