Asahi Kasei Develops Stretchable Electric Wire Using Polyurethane Fiber

Asahi Kasei, a Japanese conglomerate chemical company, will launch a wire that stretches and stretches like a rubber band on Sept. 1. "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" reported on August 26 that by embedding electrified wires in a spiral shape in elastic polyurethane fibers (called: spandex in China), the wires can be stretched and are not prone to slack. Compared with conventional wires that tend to loosen, free deformation is possible. Asahi Kasei aims to apply this wire to humanoid robots and wearable assistive robots that realize complex movements.

The wire was developed by Asahi Kasei Textile Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei, which is engaged in the textile business. It can be stretched up to 1.4 times when stretched, and it is also 10-100 times stronger than conventional products in terms of durability after repeated bending until it breaks.

General wires protected by resin materials tend to slack or become entangled when used in robots, such as when the wrist is bent. The stretchable wire developed by Asahi Kasei will be able to be routed reasonably according to the anthropomorphic movements it performs.

First of all, Asahi Kasei will develop alternative needs for conventional products for industrial robots that use electric wires in curved parts. The company will sell the product under the product name "ROBODEN" (meaning robot wire) through the e-commerce website of Misumi Group headquarters. In terms of price, the length within 1 meter is about 30,000 yen (about 1772 yuan). Asahi Kasei plans to sell to electronics companies and precision machinery companies, and strives to achieve sales of about 300 million yen within three years.