Electricity and Control October 2022

INDUSTRY 4.0 + IIOT : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Cables for repetitive movement and robotics

One of the world’s leading manufacturers of flexible cables and energy chains that protect moving cables, igus ® , is extending its product range in South Africa to cater for increasing demand. The local company has also increased its stockholding of all its fast-moving products in order to shorten lead times for customers with regular requirements for its cables and accessories. igus energy chains are used in various applications in the country, particularly where cables are required to flex and follow a linear path such as in cranes, heavy equip ment, robotics and other applications. Despite the protection offered by the company’s spe cially designed all-polymer energy chain construction, traditional types of cables are less suited to the stresses and strains of repetitive movement and provide consider ably shorter lifespans than igus’ Chainflex ® product. According to igus South Africa Managing Director, Ian Hewat, the German company is best known for its development of special polymers for its range of ener gy chains, as well as long-lasting polymer bearings and bushes that can extend the lifespan of machines and equipment up to 10 times. The introduction of its specially designed cables has proven to be ground-breaking with Chainflex ® cables significantly outlasting alternatives, in

the laboratory and in the field. As a result, many of the country’s ports and other equipment in tensive industries have specified igus cable and energy chain solutions. Chainflex ® cables are unharnessed cables for moving applications in energy chains, or for robot applications and are supplied with a fail-safe 36-month guarantee. The cables meet the requirements for EMC safety as well as industry standards and guide lines such as UL, CSA, EAC, Interbus and Profibus. The product portfolio ranges from control cables, servo cables, motor cables and robot cables to bus cables, data cables, encoder cables and fibre optic cables, and all are available with a selection of various jacket materials. “The growing popularity of igus’ cables and energy chains in South Africa is a result of well documented suc cesses. Our customers are confident that our cables for energy chains work flawlessly over long periods, even with many cycles, high speeds and accelerations as well as in extreme ambient conditions,” says Hewat. For more information contact igus South Africa. Tel: +27 (0)11 312 1848 Email: ihewat@igus.net, visit: www.igus.co.za

igus energy chains are widely used in applications where cables need to flex and follow a linear path.

OCTOBER 2022 Electricity + Control

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