igus has delivered its triflex TRX energy supply system for 3D motion of industrial work.

The four-dimensional triflex TRX energy chain enables cables on industrial robots to be guided in motion safely, easily and compactly, saving space on the robot.

“With TRX, we created a space-saving chain that can be fixed directly and compactly on the third axis. The energy supply twists into itself, lengthens and shortens spirally as in a telescopic pull-out by up to 40%,” igus GmbH head of the e-chains business unit Jörg Ottersbach says.

For this purpose, igus relies on a screw connector system in the unique mechanism as well as on an integrated reset band. The band brings the chain links back to their starting point time, thereby the retraction force can be adjusted. The cables are placed in the chain in the form of a spiral and are guided safely in the movement with the help of the chain.

In addition, the cables and hoses are fastened in place in the middle of the TRX so that they do not leave their position when the chain is pulled.

Compared to other retraction systems, the user saves up to 83% weight and requires less than half the space. In this way, the performance of the robot can be further improved and costs are significantly reduced by dispensing with an additional retraction system.

TRX can be easily connected to existing TRE series triflex R chains. As with triflex R, the cables can be quickly filled into the energy chain from the outside.