Tsubaki Kabelschlepp integrates 3D printing and scanning to accelerate energy chain development for intralogistics
AM-Adjacent Equipment
Originally reported by polyformnext.de
Tsubaki Kabelschlepp, a specialist in energy chain systems for industrial automation, has announced the integration of 3D printing and 3D scanning into its product development workflow for intralogistics applications. The company reports that by using additive manufacturing for prototyping and scanning for reverse engineering, it has reduced material consumption for prototypes by up to 80% and significantly shortened development cycles. The approach allows mechanical testing of energy chain prototypes in real installation conditions without costly tooling modifications, addressing growing demands for higher data throughput, tighter installation spaces, and longer service life in automated warehouses and robotic systems.
This move reflects a broader trend in industrial tooling and automation where additive manufacturing is shifting from a novelty to a practical engineering tool for iterative design and low-volume production. Tsubaki Kabelschlepp competes with established players like igus and Murrplastik in the energy chain market, where speed of customization and reliability under dynamic loads are key differentiators. By embedding 3D printing and scanning into its development process, the company is effectively reducing the risk and cost of early-stage design validation, a classic pattern of AM adoption in the industrial tooling segment. The approach is particularly relevant for intralogistics, where automation rates are rising and the variety of cable guidance configurations is expanding faster than traditional tooling-based development can economically support.
From an industry perspective, this is a measured, economically rational adoption of AM for prototyping and pre-production validation, not a shift to serial production of end-use energy chains. The practical significance lies in Tsubaki Kabelschlepp's ability to compress iteration loops and lower the barrier to custom designs for specific customer layouts. The company must now demonstrate that the accelerated development translates into measurable field reliability and cost savings for end users, particularly as competitors also explore additive methods for custom chain segments and wear components.
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