High quality consumables are the key to efficient and cost-effective maintenance. Purchasing durable and reliable components lowers the total operating costs regardless of industry or machines used. Today, the factor that decides a product’s quality is often its manufacturer’s ingenuity.
igus® is a German manufacturer that specialises in manufacturing cables and polymer machine components. The company maintains its position as an industry leader by continuously improving the formula used for manufacturing machine components. Plastics offer many benefits for heavy machinery applications, including e.g. construction equipment: polymer consumables are highly resistant to vibration, high temperatures, pressure, and—what really makes them superior—corrosion. They minimise breakdown risk and have long service life.
chainflex® CF9 cables
The igus® chainflex® industrial control cables have been manufactured for almost 30 years. They are available in more than ten series, each dedicated for specific applications. CF9 is a type of unshielded cables with 2–36 cores designed for the heaviest loads. In unsupported chain applications, they can cover travel distances up to 400m (and more in gliding applications). This makes them the perfect cables for jibs, cranes, and other loading machines (e.g. in high bay warehouses). Moreover, these cables are highly resistant to oils (including biological oils), hydrolysis, and microbes. They are silicone-free, making them easy to varnish. In accordance with current standards, multi-core chainflex® cables are halogen- and lead-free.
Igus® designed these cables with ergonomics in mind. The igus® chainflex® cables are manufactured using the CFRIP® technology: a tear strip is placed in each cable’s outer jacket. With a pull of this strip you remove the external insulating layer at the desired length (this also applies to braids of shielded cables), just like you would unzip a zipper. This lets you prepare a cable for installation quickly and accurately without any risk of damaging its cores.
TME’s offer includes nearly a hundred CF9 cables sold in 5-metre sections.
E-chains
igus® manufactures its own cable chains called e-chains® for industrial applications and heavy machinery.
Regular igus cable chains® are designed for horizontal applications (e.g. jibs). They are made of polymers, so they don’t require lubrication. In gliding applications, they can cover up to 75m.
They are available in swinging (unsupported chains/gliding applications) and rigid variations (for hanging/standing installations).
The e-tube® series is a very distinctive variant of e-chains: closed chains designed for both horizontal and vertical applications. The e-tube’s segments are made of durable materials. This makes e-tubes capable of protecting cables from dirt and damage caused by sawdust or even metal filings. At the same time, the e-tube can be exposed to granular substances.
The third type of cable chain from igus® is the “three-dimensional” triflex® designed for industrial robotics. Its advantages include the ability to operate in three dimension and an easy assembly system that includes facilitations for maintenance specialists. triflex® (TR) chains are available in a number of series:
- TRC (TR Closed) – closed chains with tightly fitted segments that ensure the best protection of cables.
- TRE (TR Easy) – this series’ design is close to TRC, but there is a flexible slot at the top of the chain that lets you easily replace the cables without disassembling the chain.
- TRL (TR Light) – this series is lightweight, and its open design protects cables from damage and friction.
Thanks to the use of polymers, all e-chains for cables have high thermal resistance and operate quietly. They are available in a wide range of sizes that are parametrised in detail in TME’s catalogue.
iglidur® family of materials
As engineering polymers are continuously developed, slide bearings are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional solutions. Technological progress has let igus® design a wide range of materials for bearings assembly. They all have the same name: iglidur®.
Bearings offered by this German manufacturer are available in dozens of variations designed for specific operating conditions and applications. The A family of products (A181, A200, etc.) designed for the food industry and compliant with strict FDA standards, is an example of such specialisation.
Durable, grease-free, resistant to weather, low and high temperatures iglidur® products are available in standard sizes. Therefore, they are great replacements for construction and industrial machinery parts. This maintenance-free and cost-effective solution with predictable service life will surely be appreciated by equipment owners and equipment maintenance specialists. The igus® offer is tailored to industrial standards, so their products can be used as replacement parts for all kinds of machines—from industrial robots in machinery parks to vehicles at construction sites.
From nearly a thousand types of bearings from igus® available at TME, the ones made of iglidur® G and W300 materials are especially interesting for industrial and construction machine applications. These components have an inner diameter from 2 to 50mm, can withstand heavy loads, and operate in temperatures ranging from -40⁰C to +120⁰C. The G series includes sleeve bearings, and the W300 material is primarily used to make joint and spherical bearings.
Using igus® products is the best way to reduce operating costs of machinery that’s exposed to heavy loads, vibrations, extreme temperatures or dirt. TME’s offer includes nearly three thousand products from this German manufacturer. It may be impossible to learn all the details of this offer, but you should remember we have such a wide selection when planning construction machinery maintenance, expansion of manufacturing parks, or even regular repairs.