Roller energy chains - rolling instead of gliding

energy chains of conventional design are operated over long travel distances in sliding mode. Extending the technical limits of this type of operation was the trigger for the development of the roller energy chain. The igus® roller energy chains are predestined for applications in which long travel distances have to be realised at high speeds. This is often the case, for example, with finishing cameras or in conveyor technology. The system's low coefficient of friction can also save costs in slower applications in the crane sector or in shifting systems, as the dimensions of the drives can be significantly smaller.

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Advantages of igus® roller-energy chain at a glance:

Roller energy chains are safe, space-saving and very low-maintenance. Cable lengths can be reduced by up to 50 % (compared to festoon systems)
Significant reduction in drive power to less than 37 % for moving the energy chain
Travel distances of 1,000 metres and more
For high speeds of up to 10 m/s
Uniform rolling resistance for applications with dirt

Recommended roller energy chain systems

System P4

Profile roller chain for very high fill weights (up to 30 kg/m) and speeds (up to 10 m/s)

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System P4.1

Longer service life - 375,000 km running performance. Long travel distances over 1,000 m

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System P4HD.1R

Even longer service life (compared to P41.56R) + 50 %. Low maintenance effort

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System E4.1R

Noise and vibration reduced with less drive energy required

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Areas of application: practical examples using the roller energy chain

Roller energy chain moves the pitch at the VELTINS Arena in Gelsenkirchen

When the whistle blows in Gelsenkirchen and football teams compete against each other, only victory or defeat counts. But here, too, nothing works without technology. The players dominate the pitch and a maintenance-free roller energy chain under the pitch demonstrates its strength when moving the turf.

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On STS crane

The roller energy chain has been running smoothly on the 100 metre long travel path since 2015. So far, 9,000 operating hours have been completed.

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In Stacker

Roller energy chain for stacker on 615 m travel distance for 10 years without failure and saving up to 57 % of the drive energy required to move the energy chain system.

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In bucket wheel excavators

World record with 670 m! Longest travel with roller energy chain. The maintenance-free roller design reduces the pulling/pushing forces by up to 75 %.

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For maximum service life with optimised design - P4HD.56R heavy-duty roller chain

Free sample:

For maximum service life with optimised design - P4HD.56R heavy-duty roller chain

The new heavy-duty roller chain fulfils all the requirements that apply to container cranes of the next generation and beyond. Ever longer distances, higher dynamics, short load cycles, zero failures: That, in a nutshell, is what manufacturers of ship-to-shore container cranes demand for energy chain on crane bridges. The new P4HD.56R fulfils these requirements - with maximum efficiency.

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Test for long travel distances

The roller e-chain® was tested with a travel speed of up to 8 m/s over a distance of currently 200 m, which corresponds to 400 m of travel. The fully automated system takes into account a wide range of applications in terms of acceleration and speed. In addition to the mechanical load caused by the movement of the transfer vehicle, environmental influences have an unimpeded effect on the tested energy chain and cable.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) for roller energy chain

When should I use a roller energy chain?
With long travel distances of over 100 m and high additional cable loads, in conjunction with accelerations of more than 1 m/sec2 , increasingly high tensile/push forces have resulted in sliding energy chains for cranes.

How often do the rollers on a cable drag system need to be lubricated or replaced?
The service life of energy supply rollers generally depends on the roller material and the external environment. Free-running or unprotected rollers are susceptible to external influences. In energy chain systems, rollers are integrated into the chain link and "lubricated for life" with a seawater-resistant grease. Such a system does not need to be replaced over the entire service life.

Can I also use the E4/4 roller chain in machine tools?
The E4/4 roller chain is known from the crane industry, among others. But what does it have to do with machine tools? High loads, long travel distances and dynamic behaviour - this description often applies to x-axis in machine tools. The 5050RHD roller chain, for example, enables travel distances of 10-800 metres with a maximum additional load of 30 kg/m. With an inner height of 80 mm, this chain can still be used dynamically. For example, amax is 50 m/s² and vmax 6 m/s.

Does the E4/4 roller chain fit my machine?
We have four different inner heights, up to 7 radii, up to 42 widths, two reinforced variants and everything is still available as e-tube from stock to ensure that it fits your machine. To be sure that the chain is used optimally, we recommend having it designed by an expert from igus®. They will check the filling carefully and also design the corresponding trough directly for you. In most cases, we can also make a reliable service life prediction based on our test data, which gives you and your system safety.
To summarise, this means that the E4/4 roller chain is a tried and tested system. It can therefore be used without any problems wherever the technical parameters are met.