Chains for cranes
January 1st 2007 Corus Rail, the steel rail manufacturer based in Workington, has replaced festoons on its indoor and outdoor cranes with energy chains from igus - drastically reducing maintenance requirements and the associated costs. The new cable management system comprises sturdy E4/4 'Heavy Duty' (HD) plastic energy chains, aluminium guide troughs and 'Chainflex' cables, all specially designed for dynamic applications in rough, corrosive environments. igus UK was asked by Corus to install energy chain systems on seventeen outdoor portal cranes and nine indoor magnet cranes. The steel is exposed to extreme heat where the latter are used and is formed into rails by Corus. The location of the plant on the coast means the outdoor cranes must withstand heavy winds, saltwater spray, sand and pouring rain. The cranes therefore work under changing humidity conditions as well as very high temperatures. The first igus energy chain systems were installed in the English steelworks as long as nine years ago. A Demag crane for long travel distances was converted eight years ago, followed by the trolley travel on further Demag outdoor cranes four years ago. The wear-resistant energy chains are still in operation and – according to Corus – stoppages for maintenance have never been necessary. The festoons conversely required frequent maintenance due to corrosion and general wear. Accessibility was also difficult and necessary repair work was only possible with the aid of scaffolding or lifting platforms. With the energy chain solution, however, regular visual inspections now suffice, says Corus, to ensure that the chain has not been damaged and the cables are still correctly strain-relieved. The new cranes are equipped with the recently improved 'E4/4 HD' from igus. This energy chain's load bearing surfaces have been increased by 120%, thanks to the enhanced bolt-bore connections. The larger wear surfaces mean the material strength and service life of the energy chain have been increased. 'E4/4 HD' is therefore ideal for heavy loads, dirty environments, long distances and high speeds. The energy chains are filled with a 'Chainflex' cable package specially adapted for outdoor applications. This comprises 'CF310' motor cables, 'CF9' and 'CF10' control cables and 'CFLG' fibre optic cables which are already been used successfully on hundreds of RTG cranes. Thanks to the use of highly abrasionproof TPE sheaths, the cables are ideal for harsh environments. They are also UVresistant and can be used at high temperatures between -35 °C and +100°C. They are extremely resistant to media, from coolants and lubricants through to bio-oils. The 90% optical covering of the shielded cables with an angle of twist specially adapted to dynamic movements in energy chains increases the high EMC safety requirement. The new energy chain system was delivered to Corus Rail as a so-called 'ReadyChain' complete package and installed on site by the igus UK team. This reduced costs, due to minimal installation time and the loss of hardly any valuable production time. Richie Profitt, an electrical engineer at Corus for 35 years, says: "The 'ReadyChain' energy chain system works, is reliable and maintenance-free. On top of that, the installation and back-up support from igus mean any problems are dealt with quickly." Profitt additionally comments that, for 24 hour sites, this is even more applicable to maximise productivity: "You need to be able to have an energy chain system installed and then not have to worry about it"` More articles from igus (UK) Limited: | 
