Robot cable management - triflex® robot dress packs

A robot dresspack is a system designed to organise and protect cables, hoses, and other components that supply power, data, and media to a robot's end effector. Installing the correct dress pack design is crucial to prevent cable damage, reduce downtime, and ensure the robot's full range of motion without interference.

Robot cable management systems are engineered to guide and protect cables during complex, multi-directional movements, including those of six-axis robots. By accommodating torsional and bending forces while providing effective strain relief, they minimise cable stress and wear. This helps extend the cable service life and ensure consistent robot performance.

Common issues include:

• Corkscrewing: Twisting of cables due to improper routing or excessive binding.
• Insulation Damage: Wear from abrasion or bending beyond the cable's specifications.
• Kinking: Sharp bends leading to permanent deformation.
• Loss of Continuity: Intermittent electrical connections caused by repeated stress.
• Entanglement: Poor cable management can lead to cables becoming entangled with each other or catching on machinery during movement.

Using an igus dress pack, utilising triflex® can reduce or eliminate the risk of these cable issues.

triflex® has a modular design that allows the easy addition, removal and replacement of links, allowing operators to adjust individual segments instead of the full system. The triflex® series also allow for easy addition and removal of cables through the side instead of through the ends. Interior segmentation, a defined bend-radius, and strain-relief allow these systems to extend the life of the contained cables and hoses.

We offer a range of videos to help guide you through the installation process. Additionally, please refer to the triflex retraction system installation booklet.

Alternatively, our product manager and a network of sales engineers across the country are available to visit your site and provide hands-on support.

triflex® is available in 9 different diameters: 30mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 65mm, 70mm, 85mm, 100mm, 125mm. Availability of these sizes may vary depending on series.

triflex® is ideal for cable protection on six-axis robots and cobots doing spot welding, pick and place applications, and other automated processes. It has also been used as a cable carrier for solar panels, machine tools, conveyor systems, and packaging machines.

Lighter series such as triflex® TRL are not suitable beyond axes 1-3 of a robot but are suitable for 3D printers, office applications, and operator controls requiring three dimensions of motion.

A correctly selected system controls the cable route and movement, supports the required bend radius, provides strain relief and can separate cables and hoses to reduce excessive mechanical wear.

Yes. The modular construction allows individual links to be replaced and the chain to be lengthened or shortened to suit the application.

igus provides dresspack options for various industrial and collaborative robot manufacturers, including ABB, FANUC, YASKAWA and KUKA. Use the robot dresspack configurator to select by manufacturer and model.

The required size depends on the cables and hoses being carried, available installation space, movement and other application requirements.

The energy chain configurator can specify the correct size from the number of services required.

The robot dress pack configurator can help identify a suitable system.

Our robot cables are specifically designed for 3D torsional motion with up to ±360° rotation per metre, making them ideal for multi-axis robots and automated machinery.