Vortec CaseStudy Roboworld0 pages

Roboworld: Protecting Robots
in Extreme Environments
Overview
In 1994, after a career of more than 20 years as an engineer designing products for major
corporations in the field of robotics and automation, Charlie Tur identified a pressing yet
unmet need among companies using robots. Tur decided to found a new company to fill that
niche—creating suits to protect robots. More than a decade later, Tur’s company, Roboworld,
has offices in both Ohio and Wisconsin and provides custom-built Robosuits to shield robotic
equipment in extreme manufacturing environments. Roboworld’s worldwide manufacturing
clients, such as Motoman, FANUC, and Lincoln Electric, benefit from well-designed
robot “clothing” which protects their automation investments while increasing
uptime.

The Challenge
Roboworld Vice President for Design, Sales and Support Mike Tur
explains “robots typically are placed in environments where
you don’t want to put people—very hot or extremely cold
environments, for example. The robots
may also do highly repetitive tasks
or handle work most human labor
would find too unpleasant or unsafe
to perform. This means these
robots are subject to conditions
which could potentially cause
damage. Our suits protect
them from such hazards...one
of which is high temperature
environments. However,
in those high temperature
environments, if you install a
protective suit on an electrically-driven
device (robot), the heat level can rise even
higher than the ambient temperature. ” Thus the
need for some method of cooling the robot suits is
especially strong in these high heat environments.

The Solution
Tur realized from the start that the company’s Robosuits
required a cooling unit. Initially, the firm contracted with
several air cooling equipment suppliers, including Vortec,
for cooling tubes installed inside the suits. Over time, Tur notes,
Vortec distinguished itself from the competition through “better pricing,
prompt delivery of products as well as ease of operation —customers
can quickly grasp the vortex tube concept and how it works.” He
observes that “for years now, we’ve only used Vortec. There’s no
reason to use another supplier.” Roboworld uses Vortec’s 308 and
328 series vortex tubes for their cooling applications.