Durable cables in pharmaceutical filling

The 37-wire cable assembly is used in a Beckman-Coulter Multimek pipette. The cables connect the stationary electronics to a robotic 2-axis motor/sensor assembly in the centre of the unit. The device dispenses micro and nanolitre liquids into microtitre plates for pharmaceutical laboratory research.
For this application, custom 22AWG and 18AWG Hi-Flex robotic cables from a local wire company were initially used in one of our plastic-energy chains. The wires were twisted into groups, coated with talcum powder and wrapped with Teflon tape to hold them together. The bundles were threaded through the energy chain and fitted with pins and connectors. However, of the 900 or so units built, many were plagued with failures of the 22AWG cable in the field. The failures even became more frequent over time after the wires had to be shielded with tinned, braided wires.
The customer was therefore looking for a quick and easy to install and, above all, durable alternative for the cable in the energy chain.

The customised wire, Teflon tape and shielding were replaced by chainflex® cables of type CF130 and CF 140. They were supplied as readycable®, i.e. as completely pre-assembled and ready-to-connect cables. The cables, which are specially designed for use in energy chains, function perfectly for a long time despite many cycles, high speeds and accelerations as well as challenging environmental conditions. The redesigned system has been used successfully since 2004, without any failures. Whereas previously a cable rarely lasted longer than a year, the change has virtually eliminated the downtime of the device. Whereas the original cables were hard-wired to the machine and it took hours to replace the cable, the new cables only require the connectors to be disconnected. The new design is therefore not only simpler and more reliable, but also cheaper to purchase.