37-ecat Product Catalog
80-services Services
36-downloads Downloads
35-contact Contact
47-chevron-right
20-close First-Hand News?

Obtain news and background information about sealing technology, get in touch with innovative products – subscribe to the free e-mail newsletter.

12.07.2016 | News

Freudenberg Produces Seals for Robotics - The Fully Automatic Employee

Robotics Robotics

Weinheim. Robots hold a special fascination for most people. And not just because of their lovable representatives in the “Short Circuit” movie or R2D2 in “Star Wars.” Today small suctioning robots already perform cleaning tasks in many households, and some fully automatic helpers are even handling the drudgery of mowing lawns.

Share it on
FST Robotic

What is now fairly new territory in general industry has long been routine for automakers. But the demand for industrial robots is rising, with hints of annual double-digit growth rates. With Industry 4.0, the so-called fourth Industrial Revolution, automation, networking and intelligent production processes are all the rage. Stable processes are needed for small production runs and high flexibility.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) is looking ahead to outstanding opportunities in the robotics market. “In some cases, more than 80 seals are at work in a single articulated robot,” said Dimitrios Tsituridis, who is responsible for FST’s robotics field services. Articulated robots have swivel joints, which means they can move their arms in three directions with the help of their three pivot points. This makes them suitable for diverse application areas. But they also need sophisticated seals that can handle the many different movements.

“Our customers expect that seals will outlast the maintenance interval of at least 10,000 to 13,000 hours. In cooperation with customers, we are now working on products that double that lifespan.” Whether welding or soldering, packaging, painting or coating, the new robots can do a great deal.

Freudenberg sells flat gaskets, valve stem seals, O-rings and spacer rings that – figuratively speaking – are used in the wrist, upper and lower arm, elbow and shoulder, as well as the waist and the robot base. Achim Ströhle, Segment Director, Machine & Power Tools spelled out the complexity: “The oscillating movements of the robot – it doesn’t make 360-degree movements but moves back and forth – require special materials and specific product designs.”

These state-of-the-art machines do astonishing things. “An industrial robot is virtually an electronically controlled multipurpose manual worker, for which two or more axes can be programmed,” said Tsituridis. These artificial workers do their jobs very precisely and produce a consistent high quality. Since they don’t need breaks, sleep or vacations, they can work at a constant pace and thus accelerate production throughput times. They can also be used in areas associated with certain potential hazards to employees.

Their job is moving from worker to “overseer.” The content of manufacturing work is becoming more demanding. More knowledge must be built into the automation. A new industry offering high-quality jobs has emerged with the latest robots. Completely new jobs now involve the design, engineering, production, marketing, installation and maintenance of robots.

Customers in the machine tools segment have production facilities throughout world and are pressing ahead with their development activities globally. “They also expect a global presence from their suppliers,” Ströhle said. To be sure, Freudenberg primarily supplies the end customers’ suppliers – for example, manufacturers of transmissions and electric motors – yet is actively involved in new robotic developments.

Robotics Robotics
Share it on

More news on the subject Robotics

Robotics

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Propels Humanoid and Industrial Robots

31.03.2025 | News

High-performance seals are used in robotics. Freudenberg Sealing Technologie offers excellent material combinations for these products.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

Success Is in the Details: Seals Blazing the Trail for Humanoid Robots

11.03.2025 | Story

Humanoid robots are expected to be an attractive market in the future. One international manufacturer is placing its trust in sealing solutions from Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

Planning New Production Lines Made Easy

11.02.2025 | Story

Production line planning at the Schwalmstadt plant is being carried out with new visualization and simulation software. It is helping to save time and money.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

Artificial Intelligence and Research and Development

23.07.2024 | Story

Artificial intelligence has already been revolutionizing research and development for decades. Why it’s important not to trust it blindly.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

Welcome to the AI Era

16.05.2024 | Story

Artificial intelligence will take over everyday life as quickly as the smartphone did. Industry has to systematically embrace its advantages.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

“We benefit from working with AI”

30.04.2024 | Story

How is AI changing everyday business life? CTO Dr. Matthias Sckuhr explains how Freudenberg Sealing Technologies can benefit from working with AI. 

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

AI: Accelerator for the Auto Industry

16.04.2024 | Story

AI is revolutionizing software development in the automotive industry. The new algorithms are not only used in highly automated driving.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

Networked Factory: Digitalization

09.04.2024 | Story

Companies like Freudenberg Sealing Technologies are not just producing goods – they also generate a lot of data. It is crucial to network and correctly interpret this information to remain competitive.

Read more chevron_right

Robotics

Autonomous Robots in Weinheim

18.03.2023 | Story

Autonomous robots are conquering logistics and production. They select objects and bring them to the right station safely and precisely. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is exploring their use.

Read more chevron_right

Newsletter

First Hand News

Best of all, keep up with the latest developments
with the Freudenberg Sealing Technologies newsletter.

Subscribe to newsletter