Energy chains
Two years ago, igus presented the E6.29, the first certified energy chain for dry cleanrooms. In order to offer customers long-term security, the motion plastics specialist commissioned the Fraunhofer IPA to carry out a test to investigate the ageing behaviour of its e-chains in the dry cleanroom – with positive results. Together with the IPA, the company has now developed new certificates that confirm the suitability of the energy chains E6, e-skin flat, e-skin soft and easy chain E14 for dry cleanrooms in long-term tests.
The energy chain specialist igus is presenting its new energy chain called “glide-chain” at the Hannover Messe. It has been developed specifically for gliding applications and is ideal for travels of up to 30m, as is the case with indoor cranes, for example. Its slim design ensures cost savings of 30 to 40%.
Seaports are under pressure worldwide: to remain competitive, terminals have to handle larger ships in shorter periods of time. Therefore, more and more operators use modern components such as igus’s robust energy chains that are compatible with Industry 4.0. The motion plastics specialist has now equipped the 2,000th STS crane with e-chains and is making more and more terminals fit for the future.
With the igus Mobile Shore Power Outlet (iMSPO), igus has developed a mobile connection system for shore power supply that can be positioned at any location along the terminal where a ship is berthed. This solution, which is already in use at the Port of Hamburg, received the “Ports and Harbor Innovation of the Year” award at the Electric & Hybrid Marine Expo Europe 2024 in Amsterdam.
The British company Greaves 3D Engineering has developed a professional racing car simulator called “The Ultimate Drivers Rig”, which can be quickly folded up and stored in a road case. This makes transport to racetracks, trade shows and company events much easier. To reduce maintenance work when travelling, engineers rely on robust and lubrication-free linear and drive technology in addition to energy chains and plain bearings from igus.
As part of the Smart City Initiative with Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH, Funkwerk Systems GmbH has developed a state-of-the-art pedestrian information and guidance system that is changing the way pedestrians explore urban environments. The guide moves every three minutes, drawing attention to events at central points in Stuttgart’s town centre. This pioneering project took second place in the German Tourism Award in 2023. It relies on the three-dimensional triflex R energy chain and highly flexible chainflex cables from igus to ensure smooth and reliable operation.
With the rotation module online configurator of the motion plastics specialist igus, engineers can configure and order individual rotary energy supply systems in seconds. This will eliminate weeks of co-ordination by e-mail and telephone, resulting in a shorter design time. Configurator users also benefit from a reduced price for the rotating energy supply as igus passes on the effort saved directly to the customer.
More and more people are using height-adjustable desks for ergonomic working. Organised cable guidance is essential to avoid tangled cables and tripping hazards. The new OfficeChain OCO.32.37.0 from igus is the perfect solution for this. Thanks to its easy handling and simple design, the chain blends unobtrusively into all kinds of office environments while providing organisation and structure.
The safe and efficient guidance of hoses, corrugated tubes and cables in energy chains is a major challenge in various industrial applications. To counter this problem, igus now offers new accessories for their E4Q series: a special outer link for parallel guidance of hoses and a new hose clamp. These additions allow for simple and safe installation of corrugated tubes and hoses. The links with guide channel make it easier to retrofit PMA clips while the hose clamp makes sure that hoses are securely fastened.
The champagne corks are popping in Portugal, more precisely at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of Lisbon. The researchers won the golden vector award 2024 for their MOONS spectrograph. Every two years, igus honours the most spectacular energy chain applications with this award – this year among 328 entries from 37 countries. The silver vector goes to the company TDK RF Solutions, which has developed a test rig for driver assistance systems, the bronze vector to MECAoctet for their movable nightclub ceiling. Bear Machines GmbH was delighted to receive the green vector for particularly sustainable energy chain applications for a machine that automatically recuts tyres.