Celanese Corporation and precision plastic gear and components leader VIGOR Precision Ltd have entered into a partnership to advance the development and commercialisation of lightweight plastic joint solutions for humanoid robots. Celanese is set to provide VIGOR with targeted high-performance plastic materials and comprehensive technical support. This will help advance the independent control and industrialisation of materials for high-end core components in robotic applications.
Celanese
VIGOR partners Celanese to advance lightweight plastic joint solutions
Interest in humanoid robotics for commercial applications is growing with the rapid development of artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence. However, the weight of traditional metal joint modules limits operational endurance, response speed, and load-bearing capabilities.
Since the company was established in 1982, VIGOR has been dedicated to the research and development of high-precision plastic gears and components. VIGOR has said that reducing the weight of joint modules by over 30% by replacing traditional metals with high-performance plastics is its core R&D objective for next-generation plastic joints for humanoid robots. This will help ensure transmission precision and long-term reliability.
Humanoid robot joints place extreme demands on the overall performance of materials during high-speed starts and stops, high-frequency reciprocating motion, and complex loading conditions. The partnership is committed to focusing on overcoming the core technical challenges around:
- High strength.
- High rigidity.
- Temperature resistance.
- Thermal stability.
- Precision transmission.
- Self-lubricating properties.
- Extreme light-weighting.
- Dimensional accuracy.
“VIGOR possesses deep technical expertise in precision plastic moulding, while Celanese is a global leader in high-performance materials science,” said Hoi-sang Chan, CEO of VIGOR. “Today’s partnership marks a crucial step in infusing ‘material genetics’ into ‘precision manufacturing.’ We look forward to working closely together to achieve the precise formulation of high-performance materials for robotic joints, thereby clearing the way for the large-scale deployment of humanoid robots.”
Todd Elliott, Senior Vice President, Celanese Engineered Materials, added, “Robotics is an increasingly important growth area for engineered materials, with customers seeking compact, durable, lightweight and low-noise solutions that can perform reliably in demanding applications. Through this partnership, we can bring Celanese materials science, application development and local technical capabilities together with VIGOR’s precision gear design and manufacturing expertise to help enable the next generation of robotic motion systems.”