The energy chain in the lane – Part 2

Christian Strauch | 17. March 2020

What makes the new autoglide 5 from igus so unique?

It is first of all the price. For €49 per metre, the customer receives a product ready for installation. In other words, not just the bare chain, but a ready-made energy chain with 5 single cores of 6mm² each and a bus cable. In addition, there is of course the steel rope and other assembly material!

Even more important than the sales price is the fast and really very simple assembly. Here again a lot of money and time is saved.

Why is the assembly so simple and fast?! To guide the autoglide 5, a standard steel rope is tensioned along the travel. You have to fix two anchors; at the start and the end of the lane. The rope is fixed there and tensioned with muscle power. That’s quite enough.

The harnessed chain is rolled out on the rope. The special crossbars in the outer radius of the energy chain have a groove that precisely fits the diameter of the steel cable. This guarantees the safe guidance of the energy chain.

As a final assembly operation, the energy chain is fixed to the floor on one side and at the other end to the miniload or cross-traversing trolley, as appropriate. And there you go!

We measured the time. You assemble the system in about an hour … regardless of how long the travel is.