An innovative, all-pneumatic robot hand that uses Zipper-style cable carriers in its finger joints won the "Special Design" award in the igus® vector® 2012 competition, which honored those implementing polymer cable carriers in unique and challenging ways. The competition received 162 entries from 27 countries. The design was developed by Louisiana Robotic Machines, which designs, develops, and builds robotic manufacturing machines.
Recently, the company embarked upon the design and development of its DigitL Pneumatic Hand: an all-pneumatic hand intended for educational environments. Since the robot hand is for instructional use, it had to be easy to assemble and disassemble. The company opted to use 5 Zipper Energy Chain® cable carriers from igus® to build out the fingers and thumb, resolving design challenges such as too much weight and lack of durability.
Benefits of the Zipper Principle
Small cylinders in the Zipper chains carry out the movements, bending and stretching the fingers. The zip-up principle of the Zipper Energy Chains makes fitting and servicing the cylinders effortless. The chain's polymer material holds its strength under stress and the chains themselves allow visual observation without restricting the moving mechanical parts. By reducing the number of parts involved from 75 to 25, the company also reduced assembly and disassembly times.
Differing from the typical Energy Chain design, which features side-links and crossbars, Zipper Energy Chains are constructed with interconnected lids that pull back like a zipper, removing the top section of the Energy Chain in one uniform piece at any point along the length of the carrier. They enable fast and simple cable installation and removal — in particular for cables preassembled with connectors — because the unique design eliminates the need to snake cables through the carrier. Instead, cables and hoses can be laid out along the Energy Chain in easily accessible compartments.
They are ideal for applications requiring an economical solution, little to no noise, high accelerations and travel speeds, high stability, long service life, and an aesthetic design. Sizes range from an inner height of 0.35 in. to 1.26 in. and an inner width of 0.24 in. to 3.94 in.
Louisiana Robotic Machines saved thousands of dollars in injection molding and tooling by integrating the igus Zipper Energy Chain cable carriers into their design. The fact that the Zipper chains are readily available also contributes to a Lean Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing package for the company.
