News
Kategorien: News (english) 
News vom 12.12.2005
igus GmbH
Problem-free machine engineering
New: Metal-free fibre optic cables for energy chains
Around 80 percent of all data cables in crane engineering and transport technology are fibre optic cables (FOC), but glass FOC are also being used increasingly in machine engineering. The reason is that data and bus cables are insensitive to EMC, whilst fibre optic cables guarantee the high transmission rates typical to glass.
For this application, igus (Cologne) has now developed the new metal-free cable series Chainflex CFLG.2HG.MF. This new fibre optic cable has been designed with dynamic energy supplies in machine engineering applications in mind.
Special design features
It is made up of two gradient fibres which are routed in separate tubes filled with gel. The tubes are surrounded by a torsion protection sheathing made of special synthetic fibres; both are stranded with GKF rods using a short cycle length. This design protects the wires from damaging pressure and from deformation and pulling forces. Therefore, steel elements are no longer required. A gusset-filling, extruded halogen-free PUR outer sheath ensures further stability, so that there is no increase in attenuation even after millions of strokes. The new, thin cables - designed to cope with tight bending radii in energy chains - have already been successfully tested in the igus laboratory with more than 26 million cycles at a 100 mm radius.
Chainflex CFLG.2HG.MF is available from stock in the two most important glass FOC sizes 50/125 µm and 62.5/125 µm. As with all Chainflex cables, igus supplies the new series without any cutting costs, harnessed if required and with no minimum order quantity.
High data quantities, small bending radil: new fibre optic cable CFLG.2HG.MF from igus for energy chain applications in machine engineering
Harnessed for Fanuc
igus completes its range of cables for servo drives
More and more users of modern servo drives are relying on pre-harnessed cables. The large number of different plugs and connectors and the knowledge required for processing and quality control make it difficult to keep an overview and conceal dangers. Particularly demanding are applications with moving energy supplies. This is because highly dynamic parameters such as acceleration, travel distance and small bending radii must be considered in machine and plant engineering.
Energy chain manufacturer igus has now completed its "Chainflex" range of cables for servo drives. Following system cables for Siemens, Indramat and Lenze drives, the Cologne-based company now supplies new harnessed drive and measuring systems and sensor cables for Fanuc drives in three different mechanical load qualities and any length. Alongside low-cost oil-resistant PVC sheath mixtures, PUR and TPE mixtures are also available.
Length of travel
The new cables are available for short, freely suspended travel distances ("Economy Line") as well as for long gliding distances ("Premium Line") and both have UL and CSA approval. Depending on the application, this means that the optimum technical solution to any cable problem can be delivered harnessed within three or four days.
New to the igus range: ready-harnessed drive and measuring system cables now also for Fanuc drives
Data transmission now wireless too
At SPS/IPC/Drives igus, an expert in energy supply systems, presented four new concepts for machine and plant engineering
The tried-and-tested copper wire method? Or glass FOC? Data modulation or even wireless? At the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, igus demonstrated how wirless data transmission in machine and plant engineering could work in the future with the aid of an extensive test structure. The Cologne-based company presented trade visitors with four solutions. Frank Blase, CEO at igus, says: "We are demonstrating what can be achieved technically today with very little or even no cabling at all. But we also have figures showing the comparative disadvantages, particular with interference immunity and data rates."
The limits of conventional solutions
The situation at the moment is that most data transmission in machine and plant engineering takes place using conventional copper data cables or a bus cable. This technology has been established for years: there are an infinite number of interfaces, and no specialist knowledge of connection technology is required. The disadvantages, however, remain unsolved - relatively low transmission rates and lengths as well as only moderate EMC safety.
Four ideas suitable for industry
igus has four new application-specific solutions to offer, for wherever transmission paths based on copper are not ideal. First own wireless solutions will be tested in the near future by renowned industrial customers.
New: low-cost FOC-copper interface reduced expenditure
Solution number one is "Chainflex" bus cables from igus, which use special materials that have been proving their worth for years in energy chain applications. Solution two is fibre optic cables, which allow significantly higher data rates and cable lengths and have extended EMC safety to a maximum, even where especially tight bending radii are involved. They are already being used successfully in energy chains and have been for more than ten years. They dominate crane engineering and transport technology, with around an 80% share, but - as igus reports - they are also becoming more and more popular in machine and plant engineering.
With a new, modular FOC-copper interface, safe data transmission will become straightforward and economical for popular field bus systems or even Ethernet with 100 MBit/s. The user has a conventional copper data cable through to the igus interface, where the transmission to FOC is accomplished. Specialist knowledge and complex connection technology are no longer required.
New: data modulation and wireless transmission in a test with industrial customers
Thirdly, igus now provides an additional new, pioneering possibility in the form of data modulation to power cables. This solution has the advantage of a reduced power level. igus explains: "With a new way of thinking in planning connection and terminal units - in terms of hardware," the necessary interfaces and cabling efforts could be significantly reduced by means of data modulation.
igus now also provides solutions which go beyond the energy chain/power concept. The fourth possibility, the first wireless developments, will shortly be entering the customer test phase, which will then demonstrate the advantages: less cabling effort, a more straightforward installation. The new tests will clearly demonstrate the measured limits of wireless solutions in industrial applications, such as lower interference immunity, or lower numbers of participants and transmission rates.
The future of data transmission: igus 4-way test with bus cable, FOC, data modulation and wireless solution
"Offer what is already technically possible" - igus test structure live at the SPS fair in Nuremberg
Cable and wireless - interference immunity and transmission rates in comparison
Further Information:
Website: www.igus.de/de/presse
PDFs:
- "Problem-free machine engineering":
- "Harnessed for Fanuc":
- "Data transmission now wireless too":