Cable carrier
The energy guide chain (also energy chain, e- chain or tow chain ) is a component in mechanical engineering, the flexible cable, pneumatic or hydraulic lines guides and protects. Such cables are connected to a machine part which is moved continuously back and forth. Without such leadership, which guarantees compliance with the minimum bending radius of the cable, the cable would be destroyed rapidly under the continuous load.
Cable carriers with embedded cables can also be regarded as the " umbilical cord " of a machine. They supply the connected machine part with energy and information.
Standardized individual elements enable a modular design of the structure of such a chain. In addition to this specialized suppliers have accumulated valuable expertise. Therefore, it is usually wise to give up their own design solutions.
History
The energy guiding chain was invented in 1953 by Dr. Gilbert Waninger, development manager of the company WaldrichSiegen GmbH. Then a year later founded the company trailing cable, the cable chains manufactured from steel for large milling machines. In 1969, energy guiding chains are also made of solid plastic.
Construction
There are many different versions. Most energy chains have a rectangular cross section, inside which the cord. A start and an end piece joined by many of the same chain links. It is often possible to open each link exterior, so that cables can be easily put into it also with attached plug. Longitudinal ridges extending in the chain disconnect the wires from each other. At the beginning and end of the cables are clamped with a strain relief. This drag chain cables available are specially adapted to frequent movement. You have, in contrast to normal cables some special properties: movement Robust, highly flexible and Torsion ( arm ) to allow for 1-3 million cycles. Would normal cable is used, a maximum of 50,000 cycles would be possible. Most energy chains made of plastic ( polypropylene, polyamide) are manufactured. For heavy hydraulic lines or large chains, there are also versions made of metal. The following variants are possible:
- Open
- Closed, protects against dirt, metal chips, weld beads (see picture)
- Low noise / low
- Clean room environments, with little abrasion for clean rooms
- Limbless / hingeless as a band, on which the cables are fixed.
- 3D, of industrial robots with multiple degrees of freedom
Examples of use
Power chains are used in all applications where moving machine parts with power, data, liquids or gases must be supplied. Examples are machine tools, control units for high -bay warehouses, cranes, car washes, stage equipment.
Alternatives
Electrical energy can be transmitted inductively in moving machine parts with a pantograph, a slip ring, spring cable reel ( with slip ring ) or. Both electric power and data can also be transferred to a towing cable. Data can also be transmitted optically or, increasingly, with radio waves.