SUMCAB Specialcable GmbH positions itself as a partner to manufacturers and operators of industrial robots, offering not only high-quality products but also technical solutions combined with a comprehensive service package. As a specialist in mechatronic robot peripherals, SUMCAB optimizes, supplies, and integrates configured cabling systems for robotic tools and handheld programming devices.
Even at the powertrain production plants at the Mercedes‑Benz factory in Untertürkheim, SUMCAB’s mechatronic robot peripherals prove their worth in a wide range of applications with industrial robots.
The Untertürkheim plant, which has been in operation for over 110 years, has helped shape the myth of the automobile and made history in the automotive industry. Today, it is the lead plant in the global powertrain production network of the manufacturer. In various sections of this high-tech center, the heart of the automobile is manufactured: engine, transmission, axles, and associated components.
Numerous industrial robots are used in the different production and technology centers for various manufacturing applications, including assembly, handling, and various hot and cold joining processes such as gas-shielded welding and robot-guided screwdriving tools.
Requested Products and Services
Many industrial robots from different manufacturers use cable systems from SUMCAB Specialcable GmbH. The operator of the powertrain facilities has long relied on these mechatronic products from the cable specialist based in Pfedelbach (Baden‑Württemberg). More important than the delivered hardware is the competent on-site service provided by the supplier.
It is crucial that the installed robotic peripherals meet high requirements. Poorly optimized robotic installations can lead to premature wear or even unplanned downtime.
SUMCAB supports robotics areas with solutions for challenging use cases. In power supply systems specifically for robotic applications, standard equipment cannot always be used. Considering the plant’s conditions, system requirements, and environment, it is often necessary to develop custom-made solutions for each robot model.
This expertise is SUMCAB’s specialty, providing customers with a more personalized and comprehensive service.
Guaranteed Operational Safety
Daimler AG was a pilot customer for the market launch of the newly developed MTPReelTM (Multi Teach Pendant Reel) cable retraction system for handheld programming devices. The Powertrain department had agreed to conduct rigorous functional tests with the devices at various locations in the production areas. Different versions were tested for the various robot controllers used in the forge, foundry, welding, and assembly departments.
The cable retraction system was specially developed for the connecting cables of the teach pendants of industrial robots and mobile control panels. After use, it ensures that the connecting cable is stored neatly and safely. It is available for the robot brands ABB, KUKA, and YASKAWA used in Untertürkheim, as well as for the mobile panels from SIEMENS and KEBA, as well as for several other robot manufacturers.
The MTPReelTM ensures that the connecting cables for the robot programming devices are not left lying haphazardly on the floor. There, they could pose a tripping hazard for employees or be vulnerable to malfunctions caused by forklift traffic. A rotating contact transmission system ensures that even the sensitive safety functions of the handheld devices, such as the enabling buttons and emergency stop buttons, are transmitted smoothly and reliably. This ensures comprehensive operational safety, which was confirmed by in-depth TÜV testing even before market launch.
The MTPReelTM has since been incorporated into the product ranges of several well-known robot and mobile panel manufacturers. This represents a further advantage for system operators in the robot sector, as it also transfers liability and warranty to the robot manufacturer in the event of a claim.
Management packages are in intensive demand
SUMCAB is also represented at the Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim plant with another product range from the SUMCAB portfolio: cable bundle systems for industrial robots. The technical equipment of the industrial robots varies depending on the requirements in the respective technology centers. For example, the design differences of the handling robots in the foundry are usually not comparable with the requirements in gearbox or engine assembly. The cable bundle technology to be used is therefore specified to the external system supplier in the specifications document, depending on the technology and production environment at the location of use. SUMCAB has established itself and proven itself as an approved supplier in the specifications document of the Powertrain division of Daimler AG. The cable bundles supplied here are partly technically standardized, but can nevertheless be designed with variable designs. The SUMCAB robot periphery for the Powertrain division primarily handles the pneumatic, voltage, and signal supplies for the tool systems in a process-reliable manner. This also includes cables for robot-guided industrial screwdriving tools and a fieldbus system that must be carried along. Cables for image processing and special technologies are also a recurring topic.
Challenges for the cable package components include the intensive use of the degrees of freedom and the large radii of movement that the robots travel. The Untertürkheim site operates in three shifts, sometimes six days a week. Due to the rapidly increasing service life, the availability of the robots and the necessary durability of the peripherals are of great importance for production operations. Available time windows for maintenance and repair are limited during the week and are usually only available in sufficient length on weekends. Heat and contamination are further stress factors, as are weld spatter that occurs during track welding. The demands on the products are therefore enormous.
Service as a special strength
The Powertrain department highlights SUMCAB’s service as a particular strength. SUMCAB not only supplies specialized products but also supports the installation and integration of cable systems on their industrial robots. When problem areas are identified in the power supply systems, SUMCAB has repeatedly been commissioned to find and implement suitable solutions for the robots. In some cases, existing cable packages from other manufacturers were replaced with SUMCAB products. SUMCAB has also been repeatedly commissioned to optimize existing systems.
Services are called upon by the specialist departments as needed. SUMCAB has the necessary flexibility and provides qualified personnel. Service technicians arrive on-site quickly and take care of the task. When production is interrupted due to a malfunction, rapid remediation is essential; SUMCAB offers the necessary service from a single source.
The following services are part of SUMCAB’s range of services:
- Support in the installation and assembly of piping systems, initial system assembly and the optimization of existing systems
- Preventive maintenance for equipped existing systems (preventive maintenance as an external service provider on site)
- Repair of the supplied cable packages and MTPReelTM
- Supplier of constructive solutions for technical challenges
