Manufacturing wire harnesses is typically a labor-intensive process. However, UK-based Q5D has developed a robot which can automate the manufacture of these products for automotive and other applications.
The CY1000 robot is designed to add components, connections and conductors to products made of metal, ceramic or polymer. Its development was inspired by the stagnation of the consumer 3D printing market and rapid growth observed in industrial manufacturing, according to Steve Bennington, CEO of Q5D.
The automated machine uses robust linear motors and deposits existing wire up to 3 mm in diameter onto a surface with the use of robotics.
Automakers immediately saw this as a way to save costs and improve quality. “They were very receptive to new manufacturing methods,” Bennington said. But the initial target customers were makers of machine tools and consumer and industrial electronics.
Power & Motion spoke with Bennington about Q5D’s beginnings, the technology used in the CY1000 robot and how its use can help the industrial manufacturing sector. In this first of a two-part interview, Bennington talks about how the robot works and target customer markets.
