WEST DUNDEE, Ill. — HELUKABEL USA Inc., one of the leading global manufacturers and suppliers of cable, wires, and accessories, recently announced that it has added a new PROFINET cable to its broad portfolio of Industrial Ethernet cables — HELUKAT PROFINET Type R Torsion.

PROFINET standards have traditionally be divided into three classifications — Types A, B, and C. However, a new type has recently been added, Type R, that is designated for robotics applications. In summary:

• Type A – solid conductor for fixed installation
• Type B – stranded conductor for some movement or areas exposed to vibrations
• Type C – stranded conductors for continuous-flex/permanently moving applications (such as drag chains)
• Type R – stranded conductors for robotics applications

As technology has changed to more automated equipment in industrial applications, customers are shifting from using systems that use PROFIBUS protocol to ones that use PROFINET because of the increased data-transmission rates required to maintain operational efficiency in real-time.

Furthermore, dynamic requirements like acceleration and speed have increased and created more mechanical stress and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Increased EMI is a byproduct of robot density — i.e., more robots in the same production cell — and the higher speeds, because in order to produce the required acceleration, the motors need more power/torque.

In addition, EMI can be found in the application where the robot is used, For example, a painting or handling robot experiences a lower EMI load than a welding robot, since the welding process generates a certain level of EMI.

HELUKAT PROFINET Type R Torsion is rated Category 5e and offers excellent transmission characteristics in EMI-heavy environments due to its double-shielding design that is suited for robotic applications that undergo continuous torsion loads. It has been tested to withstand more than 5 million torsion cycles under loads of +/-180°/m, and more than 5 million flexing cycles in a drag chain at acceleration rates of two Gs (20 m/s²) and a maximum speed of 11 mph (300 m/min).

It can be used in environments that vary in temperature between -40°F and +176°F (-40°C – +80°C). The PUR jacket is flame-retardant and halogen-free according to IEC 60332-1-2 and 60754-1, respectively. Additionally, the HELUKAT PROFINET Type R Torsion is UL recognized under AWM Style 21161 80°C and meets the standards according to ISO/IEC 11801 and EN 50173.

For more information or a detailed product spec, please visit www.helukabel.com or view the new Data, Network and Bus Technology Ed. 12 catalog.

HELUKABEL USA
www.helukabel.com