Small pluggable energy chain from Igus saves 80% assembly time

Igus has launched a plug-and-play energy chain system called readychain speed that it says allows connection of fully assembled e-chain systems in seconds, with no tools needed. This reduces assembly throughput times or machine downtime, and planned maintenance work can be reduced to a minimum. By using the readychain speed, users can save 80% machine assembly time. And the new readychain micro-speed makes applications in particularly small installation spaces possible.

Across all industries and applications, if a defective cable leads to machine downtime, the total downtime and follow-up costs can be high, sometimes several thousand pounds for a few minutes. With the ready-to-connect readychain speed from Igus, the e-chain system can be easily and quickly replaced if cables fail, putting the machine back into operation immediately. The readychain micro-speed variant is for very tight spaces.

With compact dimensions – 20mm width and height – the system is well-suited to applications with very little space, such as door locks in machine tools. It is not necessary to separate the wires from terminal blocks using tools before changing a cable, because the plugs are integrated into the energy chain and the cable is fully connected on both sides. The counterpart, an attachment housing with socket, can be fitted to the machine housing. If a cable change is now required, the plug-in system can be replaced as quickly as the power cord of a laptop – no tools, no know-how, no hassle.

Any employee can perform this task without having to worry about mistakes. Justin Leonard, e-chain director at Igus UK, says: “Thanks to this flexibility, reaction speed is faster when failures occur, so that downtimes can be shortened many times over. And with little investment.”

With the readychain micro-speed, customers get an interface solution tailored precisely to their application. It is almost infinitely configurable and, like the larger readychain speed, can be combined with cables from Igus’ wide range of chainflex cables – including power, bus, Ethernet and fibre optic cables. The cables are protected against mechanical damage by the e-chain. “The required plugs, housings and connections can be customised individually,” emphasises Leonard. “The customer can obtain everything from a single source and every energy chain becomes a tailor-made product.”