The robotics sector has been one of the fastest evolving fields in recent years and connectivity, power and performance needs are directly linked to the cable solutions that Sumcab can provide.
Industrial robotics poses specific and demanding requirements, calling for a dedicated and professional approach, which has been the driving force behind the creation of Sumcab Robotics.
Through this division, the company offers custom solutions for each project, taking various factors that influence manufacturing processes into account, such as location, manipulation type, external conditions and more.
It is important to always be aware of the key features of cables designed for the robotics sector. Sumcab has thus compiled the most important features, which helps to present the most suitable solutions for each task.
The versatility of cables for robotics
Robotics is often perceived as an exclusive industry and while it's true that there are robotic cables specifically designed for robot arms, grippers and other components, the reality is that the robotics industry has expanded its applications to many other sectors. This demands versatile applications for the cables required to collectively meet all needs.
Some of the sectors in which robot cables are most commonly used today include:
- Automation process developments.
- Medical equipment.
- Aerospace industry.
- Automotive industry.
General features of robotics cables
When it comes to robotics cables, three qualities must always be present: they need to be highly flexible, offer great durability and ensure maximum efficiency in performance.
In fact, the durability required is much more demanding than in other industries. There is an extensive variety of cables used for robots involved in fuel cell production for hydrogen-powered vehicles, batteries for the transport sector, solar cells for the energy industry, etc.
All these production processes demand intense and continuous accelerations in the machinery. It is also often located in confined installation spaces, which, along with the required torsion, challenge traditional cable protection systems.
Thus, along with the performance requirements of these cables, it is also important to have protection systems in place so that they can function without constant maintenance for as long as possible and, of course, in compliance with all the required safety standards.
In this protection, corrugated tubes made of polymers are often very present in robot applications. They are lightweight, cost-effective and offer excellent mechanical protection. Other solutions applied to this protection include three-dimensional cable carrier chains, which provide an even more economical alternative in the long run.
Retraction systems for cable carrier chains can be added to all of this to maximise their efficiency. These are practical examples of how cables for robotics may require certain specific developments to ensure flexibility, durability and efficiency properties.
Sumcab Robotics offers custom developments for each project, adapted to the needs of all companies.
One practical example is the Sumflex-Mechatronic cable. It is highly recommended when stringent requirements for mechanical strength, chemical resistance and thermal amplitude must be met. It has been designed to withstand millions of bending, twisting and pulling cycles, with minimal bending radii. It also offers excellent resistance to all kinds of additional environmental effects.
These and many other conditions are also met in industrial robotics cable manufacturing, based on the requirements of each customer or project.
To verify all of these performance specifications, Sumcab Robotics has a technical laboratory with a 3D testing system, which enables the company to test these cables with very fast accelerations and decelerations, tensile and compressive forces, bending and twisting.
Sumcab's factory is the first in Spain to manufacture custom cables as well as cables for continuous motion applications. It is a cutting-edge facility in which the company works with an extensive variety of raw materials to develop high-quality products that meet the required standards in each field. All of Sumcab's solutions are therefore designed, produced and tested with the most stringent precision.
Special cables from Sumcab Robotics for industrial robotics
Sumcab Robotics specialises in the development and production of special robotic cables that consistently meet the following requirements:
- They must be compatible with the highly flexible applications of this industry.
- They need to offer optimal levels of durability (mechanical, chemical and thermal).
- They must withstand millions of cycles of bending, twisting and pulling.
- They have to endure all kinds of environmental conditions.
With 20 years of experience in producing solutions for the robotics industry, Sumcab has focused on specific developments to provide solutions for an extensive range of projects.
It is also important to consider that applications in industrial robotics are highly flexible, implying stringent durability demands for cables used in robots. The Sumcab Robotics business unit specialises in the development and production of special robot cables that precisely meet all necessary requirements.
This is how the company has designed an extensive range of special cables for the robotics sector, covering a comprehensive process from prototype creation to product development, including connectorized cables ready for connection. Sumcab doesn't just produce special cables; it provides solutions. The company's products ensure the highest possible quality, which means that customers can focus on their core business.
From these solutions, the following cable classifications can be distinguished based on the needs of each sector or customer:
Connectorized special cables for robotics
Sumcab develops all kinds of wiring systems compatible with almost all generations of controllers in the market. These special cables also meet the quality, reliability and compliance requirements specified by each manufacturer.
Sumcab's extensive range of special cables includes the Sumflex cables for mechatronic robot connection, used in applications for transmitting output and control signals for the robot's servo motor operation.
Special cables renowned for their mechanical resistance
Sumcab Robotics's Sumodrive® and Sumflex® Mechatronic product ranges are designed to offer high levels of mechanical resistance. These robotics cables are specifically designed to supply power to cable carrier chains and robot applications.
Custom special cables
Each project obviously has its own unique requirements. Sumcab provides an initial consulting service to identify the most suitable specific solution for each project.
In the robotics industry, relying solely on standards is not sufficient. Through custom solutions that maintain the required reliability and quality criteria, Sumcab can provide effective solutions for any customer, also with short delivery times.
Contact us and tell us about your company's needs so that we can find the ideal solution that best fits your company's robotic components from an extensive range of top-quality products.
