Page 931 - ASEAN Chainflex Catalogue 2023

chainflex … ... lasts or your money back!
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Fleece

The tricks and ingenious features of... ...the chainflex design and why we feel so confident about this design
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From the customer's point of view, a flexible energy supply Bundled design tried and tested millions of
system needs to function properly. However, this demand times since 1989
assumes the perfect operation of all components, including
the cables being used in this system. And this is exactly where The bundled design eliminates these problems by means
problems came up in the early 1980s. Due to constantly of its very sophisticated, internal structure. Here, the core Dictionary
increasing loads resulting from the constant movement, guided wires are wound with a special pitch length first and then the
cables often failed even though the energy supply system itself resulting cores are bundled. For large cross sections, this
was functioning perfectly. In extreme cases, failures caused by is done around a strain relief element. The next step is the of defects
"corkscrews" and core ruptures brought the entire production winding of these bundles around a tension-proof centre cord
Cores wound process to a standstill and resulted in high costs. see picture 2.
in layers Broken wires
In order to find a solution to this problem for its customers, Due to this multiple winding of the cores, all cores move
Extruded, non-tension-proof Picture 1: igus decided to take the initiative. As the first worldwide through the inner radius and the outer radius of the cable
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centre element Chain-suitable Failure of electric conductivity due to broken copper
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cable wound in company to do so, igus began to develop complete energy several times at identical spacing distances. Tensile and wires as a result of subjecting the individual cores to
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layers chain systems. chainflex cables and energy chains are now compressive forces balance one another around the high- mechanical load under constant bending stress. In
Single-wire bundles being offered from one source and with a system guarantee tensile centre cord giving the structure its stability. In this way, most cases, the causes are incorrect strand wires
with short pitch depending on the individual application. Based on the the structure remains stable even under maximum bending and/or incorrect stranding pitch directions and
lengths increasing know-how gained since 1989 and on the very stress see picture 3. lengths.
sophisticated series of tests that have been conducted since
then, design principles were, and still are, being developed Insulation damage
that help prevent machine downtime in factories throughout Picture 4: Shielded "chain-suitable" control cable after only
the world today. 400,000 double strokes with a bending factor of 10 x d Short circuits due to damage to the insulation around
the conductor. The cause can be material fatigue
How can "corkscrews" be prevented? under constant bending stress or material abrasion
within the core structure. Single wire breakage of the
Here, the term "corkscrew" does not refer to a useful conductor or the shield braid result in perforation of
Centre instrument for wine connoisseurs. Instead, it refers to the the insulation.
element for permanent deformation of guided, moving cables caused by
high tensile excessive strain - which, in most cases, results in core rupture Corkscrew
strength
almost immediately afterwards. How does this happen? How An externally detectable corkscrew-like deformation
can "corkscrews" be prevented? An important factor here - in What are EMC problems and shield wire of the entire cable due to broken copper wires as the
addition to a sensible design of the total energy chain system breakage? result of subjecting the individual cores to mechanical
- is the construction of the cables. Simply speaking, a clear load during the bending process. In most cases, the
distinction can be made between cables braided in bundles In principle, cable shields must fulfill two tasks: causes are poor structure (winding in layers, missing
and cables wound in layers see pictures 1 and 2. Preventing interference getting into the cable centre, loose jackets extruded to the form of a "tube")
Highly abrasion- Preventing interference being transmitted out of the cable and subjecting the cables to high bending stress.
resistant, gusset- Picture 2: Properties of winding in layers
filling extruded Stranding and Both tasks are equally important because faulty signals can Jacket abrasion
jacket core structures Winding in layers is significantly easier to produce and is cause considerable consequential damage in the system
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Overall shield of a chainflex cable therefore offered on the market in so-called "chain-suitable" itself as well as to any external systems. Furthermore, this is The jacket is abraded down to the cores or to the
shield. In most cases, the causes are incorrect
with optimised cables at low cost. But what appears to be tempting at first especially problematic due to the fact that incorrect shielding
braiding angle glance can quickly turn into an expensive mistake when a usually cannot be detected from outside, and this is something selection of materials and/or unfavourable extrusion
Picture 3: processes resulting in poor surface properties such
igus bundled "corkscrew" immobilises the system being operated with these that makes the trouble-shooting procedure extremely difficult. that abrasion is an unavoidable effect.
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design around cables. How do these problems arise? Looking at the cable How do these kinds of problems arise in the first place?
centre cord structure can be quite helpful see picture 1. Once again, the answer is to be found in the internal structure Jacket swelling/jacket breakage
Gusset-filling In the case of winding in layers, the cable cores are mostly of the cable itself: Is the shielding designed for the movements
extruded inner wound more or less firmly and relatively long in several layers of the cable? Although it may be very easy to shield a fixed Jacket becomes soft and deformed or breaks until
jacket around a centre and are then provided with a jacket extruded cable, it is much more difficult to guarantee the permanent the cores/shield can be seen. The cause can be the
to the form of a tube. In the case of shielded cables, the cores shielding of a moving cable. incorrect selection of materials with respect to the oils
are wrapped up with fleece or foils. But what happens to a or other chemical substances being used.
similarly structured 12-core cable, for example, during normal In the case of so-called "chain-suitable" cables, for example,
operation? an intermediate layer is formed with foils or fleeces. This layer Shielding losses/EMC problems
is supposed to guarantee the separation between the cores
The bending process compresses the inner radius of the and the shield braid. But something that functions quite well Electromagnetic interferences inside or outside an
cable and stretches the outer radius. Initially, this works quite for the fixed installation of cables is quite insufficient for moving electric cable. In most cases, the cause is shield wire
well because the elasticity of the material is sufficient. But cables. This has to do with the fact that the foils and fleeces breakage due to mechanical overload with incorrect
very soon, material fatigue causes permanent deformations, do not stay put between the cores, shield and jacket and shield braid angles. Other causes include loose
and then, due to excursion from the specified paths, the may fall apart under stress. Consequently, the metallic shield braids over foils without supporting effects or very
cores make their own compression and tension zones: The then rubs on the insulation of the cores - short circuits can open coverings.
Centre
element for corkscrew is created, often followed rather quickly by core then be expected.
high tensile ruptures.
strength
925
924
924 925