“Too many cooks spoil the broth”? Not always. The innovative energy supply system SUMOTEX™ is the result of a creative and efficient development partnership, proving that sometimes the ideas of multiple partners fuel each other and lead to groundbreaking innovations.

The basic idea and prototype for the new robot energy supply were developed at Mercedes-Benz Group AG and then licensed to Sumcab. After three years of intensive development and collaboration, a lightweight and durable energy and media supply for robots was created that eliminates the need for additional guidance or retraction systems.

Jürgen Ehleiter, Robotics Expert at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, knows the problems of robot energy supplies all too well – such as abrasion on the wrist axis, particle contamination, sagging of the corrugated hoses, and loud noises when hitting the robot. The typical, sagging, swinging corrugated hoses for cable and media supply to the robot arms cause high wear and require regular maintenance or replacement of the energy supply.

From Idea to Prototype

Initially, a colleague of Ehleiter had the idea to wrap the corrugated hoses with high-tech fabric to reduce abrasion. However, the fabric did not withstand the rubbing on the corrugated hoses.

Finally, Jürgen Ehleiter had the decisive idea in his spare time. As a passionate cyclist, he noticed that an inflated bicycle tube could bend flexibly and then return to its original shape. These were exactly the properties he was looking for in the energy supply.

“The inventor’s vision: A low-wear energy supply without additional retraction or guidance elements“

Because an energy supply should also adapt to the movement of the robot arm without sagging, and according to Ehleiter’s vision, without additional retraction or guidance elements. The combination of the two ideas – the air-filled tube and the hightech fabric cover – is the basis of today’s SUMOTEX™. Only in combination, the system has the required flexible rigidity and durability in the harsh production environment.

Many trials and further ideas followed until Ehleiter was able to demonstrate the basic principle of his vision in a prototype. Subsequently, the Stuttgartbased automaker decided on extensive patent applications.

The groundbreaking nature of the SUMOTEX™ patent was also evident in 2020 at the Mercedes-Benz internal Innovation Award. There, Jürgen Ehleiter and his colleague Marc Graewer were honored for one of the non-vehicle-related patents.

Innovation thanks to successful development partership

“But a prototype is still not a product,” Jürgen Ehleiter humbly points out. Because from proof of concept to series production is a long and often arduous journey. For the next steps, the company decided to rely on development partner Sumcab – from Ehleiter’s perspective, a fortunate choice. As a medium-sized company with short decision-making processes and a focus on energy supply systems, Sumcab is an innovation-driven development partner that is also open to unconventional solutions.

For example, the sheathing of the novel energy supply system was still unresolved. While Ehleiter’s colleague had suggested the high-tech textile, all attempts with a sewn fabric had failed. At Sumcab, the idea was taken up once again and tried with a seamless circular knit. With success – SUMOTEX™ now uses a high-performance fabric that can withstand strong stresses and high pressures in other applications, such as fire hoses.

Through close communication between the project partners and the ability to test the further developments not only on the “lab system” at Sumcab, but also under factory conditions, a rapid evolution towards a mature product could take place.

“The development always went hand in hand,” says Lothar Schütz, Managing Director of Sumcab Robotics and an expert in the field of robot energy supply systems. “We have repeatedly used the feedback of Mercedes-Benz Group AG to improve and further develop SUMOTEX™. For us, this regularexchange is extremely valuable.”

And even partner Mercedes-Benz benefits from the cooperation: Robots that could fail due to high wear on the energy supply system are simply equipped with a SUMOTEX™ by Sumcab, improving the service life immensely. “During the collaboration, it became clear time and again that Sumcab not only convinces with its products, but above all with its competent service employees who always have a good solution on site,” says Mr. Ehleiter.”

SUMOTEX™ in Action

Recently, the new SUMOTEX™ JE line was introduced, which now fulfills Ehleiter’s original vision and no longer requires additional guiding elements. “With our prototype, three years ago, we were still far from this goal,” recalls Jürgen Ehleiter. “Sumcab has done a lot of pioneering work, here.”

Ehleiter is particularly pleased that Mercedes-Benz is embracing his idea and plans to use SUMOTEX™ on a larger scale. The first projects with new robot systems have already been equipped with SUMOTEX™, and the next step will be to deploy it in additional complete production lines at various facilities.

“For Sumcab Robotics, it is a great honor to preserve the memory of Mr. Jürgen Ehleiter and to keep him in our memory thanks to his invention. We will bring this innovative concept of the Mercedes-Benz Group AG to maturity and develop it further in his name.”

Lothar Schütz, CEO of Sumcab Robotics, December 2022 (unfortunately, Mr. Jürgen Ehleiter passed away far too early on 02.12.2022).

And, new fields of application are opening up for SUMOTEX™ all the time, sometimes even surprising the inventor himself. For example, Ehleiter did not expect at the beginning of the development that SUMOTEX™ could reduce foreign particle contamination to such an extent that it is now certified for cleanroom applications.