Energy chain specialist, igus, has introduced its new ‘glide-chain’ which has been developed specifically for gliding applications with travels of up to 30 m, as is the case with indoor cranes, for example. Its slim design enables cost savings of 30 to 40%.
The new igus glide-chain can reduce costs for indoor cranes by up to 40%.
Energy chains made of high-performance plastics are in use all over the world. They are intended primarily to guide cables reliably on indoor cranes used in production halls, as well as other applications. The new, cost-effective and lightweight chain developed for simple gliding applications, glide chain G4.42, is characterised by its extra-large sliding surfaces and specific material, which is only used where it is needed for sliding movements. Due to this innovative design, the G4.42 is up to 25% lighter than standard igus chains.
Another advantage of the G4.42 is the cost-optimised side link, which is used on the left and right. In combination with the large pitch, the glide-chain consists of only a few individual and different components. This results in a price advantage of 30 to 40% compared to standard chains with the same dimensions from igus's E2 and E4 product ranges.
"In times when customers are under heavy pressure to reduce their costs, we have developed a product that saves money, and has a long service life in the application," says Christian Ziegler, Head of Product Management e-chains at igus. He adds that the new glide-chain was subjected to intensive tests in the company's in-house 4 000 m2 test laboratory. Furthermore, igus provides a four-year guarantee on all its energy chains.
Recycling energy chains
What happens when an energy chain reaches the end of its service life? igus has established its ‘chainge’ programme for this purpose. The recycling initiative aims to reuse worn out energy chains in an environmentally friendly way. Regardless of the manufacturer, old plastic chains can be sent in for recycling, to contribute to the circular economy. In return, participants in the programme receive a voucher for the purchase of new igus products. Since the launch of the programme, igus has already recycled over 170 t of plastic. The plastics specialist uses the recycled material to manufacture new energy chain series. For example, the standard E2.1 series from igus now consists of recycled material.
For more information visit: www.igus.co.za
