2016 CHAINFLEX CABLES TESTED FOR GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE Cables Undergo Strenuous Testing in True-To-Life Lab Guarantee Program Testing Q&A Product Guide p2 p3-p7 p8-p11
Cables need to survive many cycles, high speeds, and accelerations. Igus has a solid system for making sure cables don t backfire on their users and it involves a copious amount of testing. Contents Introduction Guarantee Program Testing p1 p2 Step Inside the igus Test Lab p3, p4 Q&A Q&A: Get up-close-and-personal with igus Chainflex cables p5, p6, p7 Product Guide Chainflex Cables p8 Chainflex p9 Control Cables p9 Data Cables p9 Bus Cables p10 Measuring System Cables p10 Coaxial Cables p11 Fiber Optic Cables p11 Servo Cables p11 Motor Cables p11 Robot Cables p11 www.igus.com
Introduction Chainflex Cables Tested for Guaranteed Performance For 25 years, igus has been creating specially designed cables that stand up to millions of flexing cycles. To ensure performance, igus has a 29,600 square-foot lab where, at any given moment, there are over 700 tests running in parallel. Testing is performed in true-to-life settings to ensure reliability for demanding applications. In the following ebook, product managers reveal their tried-and-true development methods that have resulted in cables that last longer and work better than conventional cables, as well as reveal the features of Chainflex design that provide the confidence to guarantee their performance. igus guarantees a 36-month performance, or 10 million cycles, for all standard Chainflex cables and 36 months, or 5 million cycles, for low-cost Chainflex M cables. Included are the basics of continuous-flex cable design, containing a comparison of layering and bundling techniques, as well as recommendations for cable management, handling, and installation. For some applications, such as machine tools, packaging and handling systems, small gantry cranes and car washes, users can even benefit from using a less expensive continuous-flex cable with the same guaranteed performance. 1 Introduction 2016
Guarantee Program During the procurement process, customers want to know how long their cables will last. Thanks to igus s diligent testing methods, it can now offer clear statements, allowing cable users to plan more effectively with regard to service life. Here s how the Chainflex Guarantee Program works. All standard Chainflex cables receive a 3 year, 10 million cycle guarantee when installed according to igus Chainflex standards. A 3 year, 5 million cycle guarantee is applied to the lower-cost line of Chainflex M cables. How can igus offer a guarantee of 36 months on its flexing cables? Almost two years ago, igus became the first and only manufacturer to guarantee its cables safety and durability. Guarantee Program: Want to know how it s possible to offer a 36-month guarantee? This video offers a peek inside the Chainflex test lab, so you can see how these flexible cables are tested and proven. In the largest lab of its kind, cables undergo a constant series of tests under the most difficult conditions in order to provide customers with reliable information about the suitability of the cables for potential applications. All of that experience has given igus the ability to make such guarantees. Guarantee Program 2016 2
Testing Step Inside the igus Test Lab View of the igus experimental laboratory where Chainflex cables are tested. Why is testing so important to igus? Flexible energy supply systems need to function properly. In the 1980s, an increase in the demands of automation technology led to an increased amount of cable failure across the industry. One particular kind of failure caused by corkscrews even led entire production lines to stop working and resulted in high-cost fixes. Vigorous testing helps avoid cable problems like corkscrews, seen here. A corkscrew is the permanent deformation of flexing cables in automated applications caused by excessive stress. Since the introduction of Chainflex cables, igus has conducted hundreds of thousands of tests to ensure that incidents like this do not occur. At any given moment, more than 700 tests are being conducted in a 29,600 square-foot lab for flexible cables, located at igus headquarters in Germany. The Chainflex lab goes above and beyond the standard required tests by determining the life and function of moving cables. igus isn t the only cable supplier in the world, but when customers want to know if the cables they are about to purchase are suited for their applications and when they can anticipate some kind of failure, igus has answers in its lab. igus has been involved with numerous committees that are responsible for publishing standards and regulations, such as VDE, DNV-GL and UL, in order to create tests and production standards for Chainflex cables that address requirements needed for continuously moving applications. This is what makes the igus tests so different from other cable manufacturers. What kind of tests are being conducted? Engineers conduct a variety of tests such as those for linear movements 3 Testing: Step Inside the igus Test Lab 2016
In the lab: cables undergo testing for high-speed applications for millions of cycles. Here engineers can conduct abrasion tests, optimize braid designs, and generate service life guarantees. In the lab: a test for torsional movements without chain guide. in short and long travels, torsional movements, application reliability and elaborate analysis and documentation. Tests Include: Quality assurance, which involve continuous batch testing in order to ensure cable quality level Materials testing, needed for new materials being developed for conductors, insulation, jacket materials, etc. Rotation tests for ambitious chain applications with small radii Frost tests in which cables and e-chains undergo temperatures of -40 C Media tests for durability of chemical interferences in motion Tests for combined movements, which include a simulation of complex movements in robotic applications Special design tests for customers who may have specific motion sequences that need to be verified in order to define certain limits and improvements that need to be made before mass production can begin igus even conducts service life endurance tests that can take up to four years to determine the maximum life span of selected cables. During these tests, the lab consistently monitors the parameters in order to recognize failure at the right point in time. Lab Equipment The lab s members have access to over 50 different test rigs and machines, a wide variety of travel distances (ranging from 1 foot to 394 feet) and can implement horizontal and suspended applications if needed. Included in the lab are torsion test rigs with 12 Triflex multi-axis cable carriers that provide a plethora of testing options and expand the torsion test product range, which is rounded out by four different six-axis robots. In addition, the lab is equipped with special purpose testing stations for wear and media testing, which require more realistic testing conditions than the exposure and aging tests based on UL or VDE standards. In order to conduct its frost tests, which determine the thermal influences on moving cables, members test in a special cooling container with a 23-foot-long axis. Once tests are completed, all of the cables are taken apart and testing events are documented in detail. All of these tests are conducted with the sole purpose of providing the user with planning reliability for his or her cable selection. Testing: Step Inside the igus Test Lab 2016 4
Q & A Get up-close-and-personal with igus Chainflex cables Don Nester, Chainflex Product Manager, Tim Marran, Chainflex Product Specialist, and Rainer Rössel Head of Chainflex Cables, igus GmbH (Germany) give customers an inside look at the continuous-flex cable development process. Even with 25 years of cable design and production experience, igus still aims to improve. That is why its 29,600 square foot test lab is so important to detect cable breakdowns before they even happen while operating in the field. Can you tell us about continuous-flex cables development process? How and where are the cables created? All Chainflex cables are created at igus headquarters in Cologne, Germany, we are always driving our development team with new targets, such as what kinds of new material and design combinations can help increase the lifetime and reduce the production cost. When we discuss the cable design, we define all the details of the structure, starting from the copper stranding, discuss all the materials in detail, down to the manufacturer of the plastic materials, and what types of machines would be able to produce the best cables. After we create a new prototype, the most important part of the development process begins the testing program! Even today, though we have 25 years of cable design and production experience, we still have to test our new designs and materials in our test lab before presenting the cable to the market. Some of the new products being released in 2016 were designed four years ago. Yes, that s right our testing can take four years before we are happy with the result and begin selling! igus has one of the largest labs in the industry where cables are tested in real-life settings. Can you explain some of the different equipment and machinery within the lab? I believe that igus is operating the largest test lab for moving cables in the world. We began the development of our testing processes and procedures 25 years ago, of course the lab was much smaller at that time. Today, we are operating our 29,600 square foot lab with more than 60 testing machines which are completing approximately 2 billion test cycles, and more than 1.5 million electrical measurements each year. These test results and testing parameters go straight into our database, and from all these years of collected data, we have created our online lifetime calculator, 5 Q&A: Get up-close-and-personal with igus Chainflex cables 2016
and we are also able to offer a three year guarantee on all our cables. One of the main benefits of testing in the igus lab is that since we have the design of both the cables and cable carriers in our hands, we are able to test them together, and optimize the design of both products. How important is the testing lab in the development of continuous-flex cables? The test lab is the main development tool. We are still learning new things day by day, even after more than two decades. During the testing phase, what happens when a cable does not meet the Chainflex standard? How do you overcome issues and challenges that arise? Having the occasional failing test is better than only having positive results, because we know our tests are effective. If you only see good results from every test you run, chances are your testing procedures are not as good as they should be. Instead, if we see test results that are not the best, we can analyze the possible reasons for the poor results, check to see what we can change, and go all the way back to the prototyping stage if necessary, and start again. Of course, we are also constantly engaged in batch testing, meaning that we are taking our cables from our production line, following a statistical rule and testing them in the lab. This allows us to maintain the same level of production of our cables, and ensure it is always up to our standards. This offers protection for our customers, so they can be sure that our cables will always offer the same levels of performance. Who benefits from using Chainflex cables? The customer! Because of our testing know-how, and ability to produce reliable cables, we are able to offer our customers not just one or two cable designs or families; for example, in the area of control cables, we can offer 13 different cable designs with a range of lifetimes, price targets, and for particular industries or Q&A: Get up-close-and-personal with igus Chainflex cables 2016 6
applications. For example a four conductor 18AWG control cable is in stock with six different performance levels and with shielded and unshielded versions. The main benefit of Chainflex cables is the ability of the customer to select a cable that best fits his or her application, at the lowest possible price. That s our main objective in our development and testing process. What separates Chainflex cables from other continuous-flex cables on the market? The big differences between igus /Chainflex and other manufacturers is how much we know about the predicted lifetime of our cables, and of course the huge range of different mechanical alternatives available for the same type of cable. For example, Chainflex offers not just one or two Ethernet cable options, but more than 30! We offer this many options to provide the perfect cable for applications with long travel, cold temperatures, long freehanging distances, robotic cables, etc. This is completely unique to Chainflex ; there is nobody else in the market who can match our cable offerings, and ours is available from stock, without order minimums or cutting fees! 7 Q&A: Get up-close-and-personal with igus Chainflex cables 2016
Product Guide Chainflex Cables Continuous-flex cables last longer and are more efficient than conventional cables for dynamic applications. First introduced 25 years ago with special features to eliminate corkscrewing, conductor breakage, and other cable failures, Chainflex continuous-flex control, data, bus, power, fiber optic, coax, servo, and robotic cables offer exceptional reliability, longer service life, and guaranteed performance. Secrets to strength Chainflex continuous-flex cables are bundled, rather than the easier, less expensive layering method. Why? After a period of time, a cable constructed using the layered technique becomes prone to permanent deformation, which can lead to corkscrewing and subsequent cable failure. Layered cables combine conductors by twisting with a long pitch length, starting from the center and adding conductors around each increasing layer. Continuous flex applications subject a layered cable to compression on the inner radius, with simultaneous expansion along the outer radius. These forces work against the alternating layers of the cable. With Chainflex cables, the bundling method eliminates the risk of corkscrewing. Their cable technique takes conductors Product Guide: Chainflex Cables 2016 8
and combines them in groups. The conductor groups are then twisted around a central strain-relief element. As the bundled cable flexes, the conductors are kept in a single layer during the continuous movement, keeping the cable s core stable even under maximum bending stress. With this bundling method of cable design, igus has never had a corkscrewed cable, even in testing specifically designed to trigger the phenomenon. In addition to the bundling technique, special shielding and UV-resistant, halogen free, and abrasion-resistant jacket material also help Chainflex cables run for millions of cycles, even under extreme environmental conditions. Chainflex Products igus developed Chainflex continuous-flex cables in the 1980s in order to deliver longer life and better performance for demanding applications that were springing up as a result of the new automation technology at the time. igus now offers more than 1,000 Chainflex cable varieties for all types of applications. Control Cables Chainflex continuous flex control cables are intended for use in Energy Chain cable carriers. They are capable of torsional movement - depending on the cable - and can be used in high speeds and accelerations. Chainflex control cables are UV resistant, flame retardant, halogen free and can withstand very high or low temperatures. They are available shielded or unshielded, with a choice of PVC, PUR and TPE outer jackets. In addition, they have a bending radius up to 4 x d, and are available at a range of price points to meet specific application requirements. Data Cables Chainflex continuous-flex data cables have bend radii starting at 7.5 x d. These data cables are available with PVC, PUR and TPE outer jackets. They also conform to key standards and are suitable for high mechanical load 9 Product Guide: Chainflex Cables 2016
requirements at high speeds and accelerations. They are flame retardant, oil resistant, and shielded. Chainflex data cables are intended for travels up to 400 m, and are tested to stand up to dynamic flexing applications. Bus Cables Chainflex continuous flex bus cables conform to various key standards, can be used for high speeds and accelerations, and come with PVC, PUR, or TPE outer jackets. Chainflex bus cables are available to meet a wide range of industry standards for bus and Ethernet network cables, including Profibus cable, Interbus cable, CAN-bus cable, Device-Net cable, CC-link cable, Ethernet cable, CAT5e cable, CAT6A cable, GigE cable, Profinet cable, FireWire cable, USB cable and DVI cables. Measuring System Cables Chainflex measuring system cables are suitable for dynamics with medium to high mechanical load requirements and are available with PVC, PUR or TPE outer jackets. The measuring system cables are designed for specific motor types, conform to various key standards, are flame retardant and coolant and oil resistant, depending on the outer jacket type. Chainflex continuous flex measuring system cables can be used in applications with high speeds and accelerations, and comply with the specifications of drive systems manufacturers. Product Guide: Chainflex Cables 2016 10
Coaxial Cables Chainflex 75 Ω continuous flex coaxial cables are intended for use with maximum mechanical load requirements, are UV and biooil resistant and are available as one- or five-core cables. Fiber Optic Cables Chainflex continuous flex fiber optic cables are coolant and oil resistant, are made with plastic and glass fibers, and have a bending radius up to 5 x d. PUR and TPE outer jackets are available. Servo Cables Chainflex servo cables are abrasion-optimized and have bend radii starting at 7.5 x d. Both PVC and PUR servo cables are available without an inner jacket or with an inner jacket for high dynamics. Chainflex servo cables are flame retardant and oil resistant and can be used for high speeds and accelerations. Motor Cables Chainflex continuous flex motor cables are suitable for maximum mechanical load requirements and extreme applications. They are available shielded or unshielded and are available with PVC and TPE material outer jacket types. Robot Cables Chainflex robot cables are designed to withstand torsional stress of ±180 for every three feet of cable. These cables have been tested in applications that reproduce the forces and impacts that cables are typically exposed to in real-life industrial robotic applications. These tests have proven Chainflex robotic cables to last up to 10 million torsional cycles. igus was the first company to develop complete cable carrier systems. Chainflex continuous-flex cables and Energy Chain cable carriers are offered from a single source with a complete system guarantee (depending on the application). Fully preharnessed ReadyChain systems are also available. 11 Product Guide: Chainflex Cables 2016
igus develops industry-leading Energy Chain cable carriers, Chainflex continuous-flex cables, iglide plastic plain bearings, igubal spherical bearings, and DryLin linear bearings, guides and slide tables. 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 experience since 1989, igus provides the right solution based on 80,000 products available from stock. No minimum order is required. Services include full in-house harnessing, design consultation, on-site consultation, guarantee and warranty. Field proven again and again; available from stock! Energy Chain cable carriers, Chainflex cables, iglide plastic bearings and DryLin linear bearings and guide systems have been field proven - and value proven - again and again. igus not only manufactures superior products, but also develops the materials and technology behind its products. igus is distinguished by its service and support, going above and beyond its competitors. Contact Us: http://www.igus.com/contact Email: sales@igus.com Corporate Headquarters United States PO Box 14349 East Providence, RI 02914 Phone: 401 438 2200 Fax: 401 438 7270
Chainflex motion cables from the world s largest test lab for continuous-flex cables Tested: 27 million times twisted Test 3105: Chainflex robot fiber optic cable CFROBOT Glass fibers survive more than 27 million strokes at ± 180º torsion Tested: 41 million strokes Test 2233: Chainflex control cable CF-10-25 Has withstood more than 41 million strokes at 25% smaller test radius Tested: 76 million strokes Test 3089: Chainflex Ethernet cable CFBUS-045 Proven to last more than 76 million strokes in a linear E-Chain test Tested: 138 million strokes Test 3621: Chainflex control cable CF98-05-04 Has withstood more than 138 million strokes at a radius of 3.2 x d A New Manufacturing Blueprint 2015 13 See test videos and learn more at www.igus.com/cabletests