Everything from a single source: Industrially harnessed energy chain systems from igus

At igus the name "readychain" stands for pre-assembled tailor-made energy chain systems. With the new readychain Basic, Standard, Standard Plus and Premium, the motion plastics specialist now has four options in its product range, which delivers everything to customers from a single source, from the simple combination of an e-chain and cable up to fully harnessed and assembled energy chain systems. This is not only convenient but also saves operating costs.

igus offers reliable, tested energy chains and cables for moving applications as well ready harnessed complete systems. Especially for long travel distances and highly filled multi-axis systems, they not only save time in harnessing and assembly but also offer predictable costs to customers. All moving components were developed, tested and coordinated in igus' own test laboratory. With readychain, customers receive a complete reliable pre-assembled system from a single source, directly from the manufacturer and with a guarantee. At the same time, the number of suppliers and orders can be reduced by up to 75 percent, while storage and process costs are avoided.

One order, one invoice, one delivery

igus project managers accompany the readychain systems through all phases of the project. While doing so the interfaces, delivery status, assembly process and effort of the customer are just as important as the product itself. In the igus factory, the readychains are manufactured industrially on an area of 3,000 square metres with state-of-the-art production technology and specialised employees – from simple to complex systems with individually specified cables, hoses, plug connectors, internal separators, mounting brackets and attachments. "We are industrialising manual work," explains Christian Stremlau, head of the readychain and readycable business unit at igus. "Because throughput, quality and price have become more important." Depending on the degree of harnessing the customer can choose between un-harnessed chainflexcables (readychain Basic) or pre-assembled readycable cables (readychain standard) for use in e-chains. This is also available as a ready-to-install multi-axis system with sheet metal, which reduces the plug-in points and optimises the connection interfaces (readychain Standard Plus).

The user has access to the comprehensive readycable range with over 4,000 different drive cables in seven quality classes. "The pre-harnessed cables, including connectors, are custom-made in the desired length with centimetre precision, as is now normal for the industry," Stremlau adds. "At igus, therefore, there is no minimum quantity surcharge." For further cost savings and at the same time high convenience for the customer, igus offers to undertake the delivery and assembly of the fully harnessed energy chain system directly on the machine (readychain Premium). A precisely fitting transport frame known as the "readychain rack" ensures a secure and fast mounting of the module on site, so that it can be put into operation immediately in a machine tool via plug & play. For product and service, the customer receives only a single order number per product group. igus manufactures the readychains in twelve factories across the globe and delivers them virtually worldwide, thanks to the sophisticated logistics, within one to ten days on the guaranteed deadline.

You can get an insight into the readychain harnessing at igus in the video at http://www.igus.in/readychains?C=IN&L=en

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories, Cable Harness etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

igus Introduces Servo Cables with the World's Smallest Bend Radius

At the 2016 SPS IPC Drives, igus presented its new CF29 servo cable series – one of several new high-end cable families for continuous motion in e-chains with an outer jacket made of halogen-free TPE. This product range extension offers completely new possibilities for energy supply to drives, for users with very tough requirements such as ambient temperatures or small installation space.

A core structure optimised for motion combined with a gusset-filling extruded TPE inner jacket that provides even more stability as well as a highly flexible TPE outer jacket are the features of the new CF29 chainflex servo cable series. The high-end series is suitable for the smallest bending factors for servo cables down to 6.8xd and is therefore unique on the market. The new series offers a guaranteed solution in a temperature range of -35°C so can be even used for moving applications in deep-freeze warehouses. This is made possible by the igus halogen-free TPE outer jacket material, which offers an almost unlimited resistance to oil. This has been used for other chainflex cable series for years. In order to offer its customers an even better selection, igus is now expanding its high-end range with this new servo cable and an additional series for data and bus cables.

Even more choices – guaranteed to last

All cables were successfully tested in a climatic test chamber with real-world mechanical loads and temperatures, within the 2,750-square-metre-large test laboratory at igus. This allows the cable manufacturer to guarantee a service life of 36 months for all cables. And this applies even for cables for the highest dynamics and the most complicated movements. The chainflex service life calculator (www.igus.com/chainflex_servicelifecalculator) helps you to make the ideal selection, and gives you the expected service life of each cable in double strokes after entering the respective application parameters. This allows customers to choose the cable that works reliably in their applications – without having to spend too much.

For more details please visit: http://www.igus.in/Shop/Category/300739/Servo%20cables

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories, Cable Chains etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

Igus Presents Custom Made Lubrication-Free Linear axes from the 3D printer

Linear components made of Tribo-SLS material allow special shapes to be produced in just 48 hours

The motion plastics specialist igus takes a completely new approach to drive technology: the SLTI3 lead screw unit offers customers the highest degree of variability in the design of their individual linear axis. Made possible by 3D printed carriage and shaft end supports. This means that lubricant-free and maintenance-free lead screw units can be implemented cost-effectively and very quickly according to customer requirements.

Lubrication-free and maintenance-free linear axes from igus are already the core components of many moving applications, both in the automotive and in the packaging machine. Among them is the low-profile drylin SLT series, which has a drive system with ball-bearing, laterally arranged lead screws with trapezoidal or high helix thread and is suitable for both motor and manual operation. The drylin SLTI3 lead screw unit now supplements this type series with a very flexible system. For this purpose the number of components has been significantly reduced so that the lead screw unit can be assembled in seconds. Customer-specific stroke lengths are also possible, as is the use of trapezoidal or high helix threads according to requirements. Entirely new degrees of freedom in design are promised by the first complete linear carriage from the 3D printer as well as printed shaft end supports, which are manufactured in the laser sintering process.

Self lubricated and low wear: iglidur I3

The 3D print is ideally suited to realise individual wishes down to the smallest detail. The customer not only receives his custom-made lead screw unit in a very short time, but can also implement own ideas for profiles, stroke lengths or fastening options. The iglidur I3 material is used in the drylin SLTI3 lead screw unit, the SLS material from igus for selective laser sintering, with which the most complex shapes can be precisely manufactured. The process also endows the components with high strength, which require no more support structures with subsequent reworking. Extensive tests conducted on the large 2,750-square-metre floor area of the igus test laboratory with counterparts made from different materials have shown that iglidur I3 is at least three times more abrasion resistant compared to conventional SLS materials, both in the pivoting, rotating and linear motion. The igus 3D printing service enables an efficient production of single pieces or small batches.

 Picture PM6016-1

Printed as desired, quickly at the customer: Lubricant-free linear carriage and shaft end supports made of abrasion-resistant iglidur I3. (Source: igus GmbH)

For more details please visit: http://www.igus.in/wpck/10783/3Dprinting?C=IN&L=en

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

igus Offers Low cost automation with 5-axis Articulated Arms

Simple configuration, quick acquisition, immediate connection –  the entry into the world of igus low-cost robotics is that easy. This is made possible by the new 5-axis kinematics from the robolink D series. Offered as an assembly kit consisting of arm, motor and gearbox, or now as a ready-to-connect articulated arm, users are given the opportunity to implement their own automation systems.

Robots are taking over in automation tasks more and more. Last year, sales of industrial robots exceeded the 245,000 pieces, which marks a new record. At the same time, interest is also growing in simple and inexpensive robotics solutions. In the area low-cost automation, with the robolink D igus offers users the ability to easily increase their productivity with a flexible robot kit. At the 2016 Motek, the motion plastics specialist will present a new 5-axis robot kit, which is also available as a preassembled arm, in hall 4, stand 4310.

Self-configured or pre-assembled

Thanks to the modular combination of the robolink articulated arm, motor and gearbox, the customer receives a system that can be assembled and used for a variety of robotic tasks. In addition, it is possible to combine motors and joints in several installation sizes with standard control systems for a complete robot made of plastic and aluminium. As pre-defined 5-axis kinematics with robolink D-joints, beside the igus stepper motors and metal parts as connecting system, igus e-chains and chainflex cables with a 36-month guarantee are also used. The motors can be controlled with commercially available control modules and the centre distances can be modified by changing the connecting parts. The robolink DC is available as a 5-axis model in two options: a small version with a load capacity of up to 0.5 kg and a larger version with up to 2.5 kg. The system can also be ordered as a subassembly, for example as a rotary unit, swivel unit or 2-axis swivel arm. The prefabricated arm is light and easily configured, and are as interesting for robot manufacturers and machine builders just as for system integrators and automation in all industries, from automotive production up to medical technology. Thanks to the robolink configurator, robolink D-joints are very easy to assemble and the robot arm can be easily configured. The price of the 5-axis articulated arm is € 3349 for the small or € 3998 for the larger option from a quantity of one without control system and is much lower cost with higher quantities.

For more details please visit: http://www.igus.in/wpck/16566/N16_10_00?C=IN&L=en

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

igus offers maintenance-free and extremely light ball bearings specifically designed for confined spaces

The motion plastics specialist igus has developed thin ring bearings in accordance with DIN 625 for small installation spaces and where very low weight is crucial. The xiros plastic ball bearings are, for example, suitable for a wide range of control systems in vehicles due to the freedom from lubrication and maintenance as well as very low friction.

Temperature, ventilation or suspension dynamics - a lot can be adjusted in the car by means of various rotary controls. Here, the new xiros type 67 and 68 thin ring bearings are particularly suitable since an extremely low weight is crucial and usually only a small space is available. The motion plastics specialist igus offers this in two different materials (xirodur B180 and xirodur S180) in inner diameters between four and 30 millimetres. Special dimensions or customer-specific integrated solutions are also possible on request. For both xirodur materials, users can choose between balls made of stainless steel 1.4401 or glass, whereby the use of glass balls guarantees a completely non-magnetic version of the ball bearings. In addition, the use of plastic balls is possible on request for a further weight reduction.

Maintenance-free and light-weight

The xiros thin ring bearings from igus are suitable for application temperatures between -40 degrees Celsius and +80 degrees Celsius. They do not require lubrication and are corrosion free. In the largest test laboratory for plastics in motion at igus with a floor area of 2750 square metres, various rotating and pivoting tests have proved that the bearings are suitable for several 100 million cycles within permissible loads. "As in all xiros ball bearings, the frictional torque of our thin ring bearings is also very low," says Marcus Semsroth, head of the xiros ball bearings division at igus. "Thus, no breakaways can be felt when they are moved, which, for example, ensures very good haptics when used on rotary controls." For the correct selection, configuration and ordering, igus has developed easy-to-use online tools. The best xiros ball bearing can be configured with just a few clicks here:  http://www.igus.in/wpck/4961/ballbearing?C=IN&L=en

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

igus presents Zigzag modules from the modular e-chain® system

With the standard zigzag energy chain module, igus offers a space-saving and cost-effective solution for vertical applications. The zigzag module can be individually configured thanks to the e-chain's modular design and delivered quickly. This offers solutions for guiding energy and data in the theatre, lighting and storage industries as well as in hydraulic work platforms.

All shows need spectacular stage backgrounds and effective lighting, from the Royal Theatre London to the Opera in Barcelona, and in many other musical applications around the world. The necessary stage equipment and lighting fixtures are usually moved vertically. For the reliable supply of data and energy, it is necessary to also guide the required cables vertically. The challenge on the one hand is to have a sufficiently low noise vertical movement and on the other hand to have a visually neat guidance of the cables in a restricted space. In both cases, igus GmbH developed an ingenious solution – the zigzag module: A folding energy chain with all the cables guided safely and neatly stowed away in a standardised box. The energy chain is stored in the box when the platform is down. When the platform goes up the e-chain unfolds and follows the movement – up to 30 m in height. The galvanised steel box can be unobtrusively integrated in the stage elements or fastened to the movable lighting units. When the lighting unit shuts down, the e-chain unfolds downwards. On special request, the box is also available in low-reflection black or in other colours.

Modularity reduces costs

The added value lies in the modularity of the system: The boxes were previously available individually or in small batches, but now the igus standard box can be configured, manufactured and delivered within ten days at a reasonable price without much design effort due to the modular system. The modules can be ordered in the size spectra of 75-500 millimetres chain outer widths as well as 600 to 3000 mm box lengths and up to 2000 mm maximum box height. In this way, expensive special designs are no longer necessary for most applications.

The intelligent design of the zigzag movement allows a silent vertical movement unlike rope retraction systems in comparable applications Also, the system can carry high loads. On the energy chain a moving end plate is fitted with double strain relief for the cables. The zigzag design is possible with almost all energy chains of the series E2 and E4, but the E4 series offers advantages in installation and filling, because it can be opened on both sides. The standard box is an ideal means of transport for a preassembled energy chain. Thus, the module can be delivered as a complete readychain system and thus can be quickly mounted as a ready-to-instal plug & play system with e-chain, chainflex cables and connectors.

For more details please visit: http://www.igus.in/energychains?C=IN&L=en

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.

igus 2017 manus: International award for plain bearing applications goes into the 8th round

Once again, the opportunity to apply for the international manus award will now be open for companies and individual developers. Whether serial applications for the industry or individual parts – anyone can apply with a polymer plain bearing application. The winners will be awarded at the 2017 Hannover Messe, and the prize money is up to 5,000 euros.

Whether in water, on land or in the air, there is hardly an area where polymer plain bearings do not display their characteristic advantages. They save weight in the solar aircraft, they protect against corrosion in the wave power plant, they ensure a smooth drive on the road and are more economical and more durable than comparable metallic solutions. The prestigious manus award will now be held for the eighth time to show the tremendous potential of plastic bearings technology. The joint initiative of igus, the Institute for Composite Materials, the Industrieanzeiger and the Technical University of Cologne honours plastic plain bearing applications that are characterised by technical prowess and economic efficiency as well as the creativity of the developer. "The term 'manus' (lat. hand) symbolises the drive in the bearing technology to go new ways," says Gerhard Baus, authorised agent for plain bearings at igus GmbH. This was performed by 467 contestants from 34 countries at the last 2015 manus award. They showed the whole exciting range of application potentials of plastic plain bearings, from the prototype to the serial application: spherical bearings in a steeringless bicycle from Italy, linear bearings in a French machine for cake decoration or plain bearings in an Indian car washing machine. In the end, an innovative system for ear surgery from the Leibniz University of Hanover won the golden manus, which is used to treat inner ear deafness and severe hearing loss.

The awards ceremony at the 2017 Hannover Messe

The independent jury will select the award winners in February 2017. Participants can apply online until then with a short textual description as well as pictures and videos of their application. The prerequisite is that at least one built prototype of the presented application exists. The awards ceremony of the manus award will take place at the 2017 Hannover Messe at the igus stand. The winners of the competition will receive prize money of up to 5,000 euros. This page www.manus-award.com contains all information, participant applications of the past years as well as the link to the online registration.

About igus® India

igus® operations in India started in the year 1998 with head quarters in Bangalore. igus offers widest range of products that includes polymer bearings, igubal® Linear Motion Bearings , Plain Bearings and Bushing Accessories etc. which enable them to serve the whole industrial establishments in India from a small work shop to huge industrial establishments.