Every two years, igus GmbH presents the vector award for novel applications with energy chain systems covering fast travels, adverse environmental conditions and dizzying rotations.  This year, the gold vector award went to the Norwegian company Robotic Drilling Systems, who uses several energy chain systems from igus in extremely limited spaces within their robots.

The ‘Drill-floor Robot DFR-1500' from the Robotic Drilling Systems is the central robot in a fully automated oil drilling system. In an area where normal work involves the manual carriage of individual drilling elements to and fro and fixing with bolts with enormous effort, the company is working on the oil platform of the future, where the drilling is completely prepared and executed by robots. The DFR-1500 uses individual drilling elements and brings them into the correct position for the drilling operation. RBR systems from igus are used in the articulated joints of the robots, and are responsible for the supply of energy, data and media. RBR stands for ‘reverse bend radius', because the chains are used lying on their side and the chain links can move in both directions, allowing rotational movements. This sophisticated energy supply system solution convinced the jury of the 2016 vector award, consisting of representatives of specialised media, business and research, who honoured the application by Robotic Drilling Systems with the gold vector award. The award, also with Euro 5,000 prize money, was received by Jimmy Bostrom, Chief Operating Officer at Robotic Drilling Systems, in front of around 500 guests at the award ceremony in the fair stand of igus GmbH at the Hannover Messe.

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