igus is the first supplier to qualify its halogen-free e-chain TPE cables for IPA dry cleanroom Classes 4 and 5

Around the world, the number of dry cleanrooms is increasing. The main focus is on automating the systems to ensure fast and cost-effective production. In addition to its certified energy chains suitable for dry cleanrooms, igus has now also had its halogen-free chainflex TPE cables successfully certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) in accordance with dry cleanroom Classes 4 and 5. This provides customers in highly automated battery production with energy management solutions with a reliable guaranteed service life of up to four years.

Clean production conditions play an essential role in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Moisture, dust and particle emissions can lead to serious quality impairments and shorten the products’ service life. As a result, there is an increasing demand for dry cleanrooms in which the relative humidity is typically below one per cent or in the range of a few ppm water content to protect hygroscopic materials, such as electrolytes in battery cells, from chemical reactions. However, not all machine components can withstand such difficult environmental conditions. “A lot of components are susceptible to wear due to the dry air, so they have to be replaced within a very short time,” says Kira Weller, Product Manager e-chains and Cleanroom Expert at igus. Energy management solutions are essential for reliable energy and data transmission in dry cleanrooms. “To ensure that our cable guide systems meet the requirements of the dry environment, we are working together with the Fraunhofer IPA to develop and certify our motion plastics for use in dry cleanrooms,” says Weller. This now also includes 238 chainflex cables. “They are our high-end TPE cables that have been specifically developed and tested for use in energy chains. The range includes control, bus, motor, robot, servo and measuring system cables,” explains Rainer Rössel, Head of Business Unit chainflex Cables at igus. The cables were first extensively tested in the company’s own 5,500-square-metre laboratory in Cologne before being awarded the two highest classes, 4 and 5, for dry cleanrooms following long-term tests at the Fraunhofer IPA. The certification guarantees low particulate emissions even under long-term stress as well as reliable material resistance in dry rooms, which are essential prerequisites for modern automation solutions in battery production.

Issuing the certificates together with Fraunhofer IPA

“The collaboration with Fraunhofer IPA gives our customers the certainty that our solutions work reliably even under the most stringent conditions,” says Rössel. The specifically developed halogen-free TPE plastic outer ensures maximum cleanliness and durability of the cables. In addition, igus provides a four-year guarantee on all its products with a service life calculation. What makes it special is that the TPE cables are catalogue parts that can be ordered from stock, starting at one metre and without cutting charges. igus also waives minimum quantity surcharges and packaging costs. In addition to chainflex cables, the certified igus portfolio includes other products for dry cleanrooms. These include the energy chains in the series E6, e-skin soft, e-skin flat and easy chain E14. They have also been certified for cleanroom Class 4 and offer ideal solutions for applications in battery production, semiconductor manufacturing and other sensitive industrial sectors where cleanliness and durability are crucial.

You can find more information about dry cleanrooms under components for battery production