Rolls instead of glides: igus Rol-E-Chain for long distances

Aug. 26, 2009 - PRLog -- igus®’ Rol-E-Chain cable carriers have a unique design: built-in wheels to facilitate travel over long distances, such as on a crane. The wheels are integrated into the cable carrier’s side links and reduce friction dramatically, which makes longer travel, heavier load and faster speed applications possible.

The upper portion of a conventional cable carrier glides on the lower portion over longer distances. However, requirements for cable carriers in long travels have been increasing in recent years. Travels over thousands of feet present new challenges in crane construction, as do high travel speeds and cable loads up to 33.6 pounds per foot. As length of travel, load and speed increases, so does friction, which can lead to premature wear and load problems for a cable carrier.

This new-found need to expand the technical limits of cable carriers was behind the development of Rol-E-Chain. With its unique design, friction is decreased and travels over 2,600 feet are achieved easily at speeds up to 32.8 feet per second. Moreover, the drive power required to move the cable carrier is reduced by more than 25%. Rol-E-Chain is also resistant to applications involving harsh environmental conditions, such as thick dirt.

The cable-carrier design is ideal for applications on cranes, material handling devices, plasma cutters and high-speed transfer systems.

Rol-E-Chain is also available as an optional, ready-to-install, pre-harnessed system with a complete system guarantee depending on the application.

For more information, call 1-800-521-2747, e-mail sales@igus.com or visit www.igus.com/rol-echain.asp.

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igus develops industry-leading Energy Chain cable carriers, Chainflex continuous-flex cables, iglide plastic plain bearings, igubal spherical bearings, DryLin linear bearings and guide systems. These seemingly unrelated products are linked together through a belief in making functionally advanced, yet affordable plastic components and assemblies. With plastic bearing experience since 1964, cable carrier experience since 1971 and continuous-flex cable since 1989, igus provides the right solution based on 70,000 products available from stock. No minimum order required. For more information, contact igus at (800) 521-2747 or visit www.igus.com.