Long travel applications usually require guide troughs. Not so with the newest design of E2/000 Energy Chain cable carriers from igus, East Providence, R.I., which feature an inbuilt Auto-Glide mechanism that guides the upper run of the cable carrier on top of the lower run by way of specially designed crossbars with a built-in comb design.
Long travels can be a challenge for cable carrier systems because the upper run of the cable carrier needs to glide on top of the lower run. Guide troughs are usually necessary to prevent the upper run moving off to one side and increasing wear on the system.
However, in many cases guide troughs take up too much floor space. For example in indoor applications that use indoor Auto-Glide crossbars will operate safely over travels up to 164 ft and at speeds up to 5 ft/s without a guide trough.
The Auto-Glide crossbars can be opened on the inner radius and offer a larger surface area than usual, which increases the service life of the cable carrier system. The system includes a clip-on guide wing for the chain link that meets the lower run first. This guide wing is only required once for extra guidance. Hemispherical floor guides are recommended for travels over 50 ft. These robust, low-profile guides are fixed to the ground in pairs either side of the cable carrier and seven feet apart to give the lower run additional guidance.
E2/000 Energy Chains can be opened from the left or right side for quick and easy cable access and are available fully enclosed, half enclosed, or as an open version from stock. They operate quietly and offer a long cable service life and multiple mounting options.
The crossbars have a high holding force of close to 160 lb depending on the series, which helps guarantee a safe and reliable operation.
Along with the new Auto-Glide system, igus has released new low-friction separators for the E2/000 range to enhance cable life. The plastic bars have been optimized to accommodate cables and tests have shown that they increase cable service life by a factor of four.
Igus
www.igus.com
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