Filling rules - cables and hoses in energy chains

Installation and strain relief for round electrical cables

1) The cables must be laid straight, without twisting. Cables must not be uncoiled from the top of the spool. Our chainflex cables are immediately ready for placement directly into the e-chain®. They need not be disconnected or laid out before installation.

2) The cables must be laid so that each individual cable can move freely from side to side.

3) The cables must be able to move freely along the radius. This must be double-checked if the upper run operates at the cable’s maximum bend radius.

4) The division of the e-chains interior using igus interior separators or shelves is necessary if several cables and/or hoses with varying diameters are laid out. It is important to prevent cables and hoses from tangling.

5) Cables and hoses with different jacket materials must not be allowed to stick together. They may need to be separated. igus chainflex cables of all series can be combined.

6) Round electrical cables must have strain relief at both ends. In exceptional cases, cables may have strain relief at the energy chain's moving end only. A gap of 10-30 times the cable diameter between the end of the bend segment and the fixed point is recommended for most cables. chainflex cables can, on the other hand, have strain relief directly at the mounting bracket, as testing has confirmed.

In principle, the rules for round cables also apply to pneumatic hoses. After consultation, they can be laid together more closely than the 10% clearance rule allows. This requires double-sided strain relief. For pneumatic hoses made of rubber, we recommend that the 10% clearance rule be strictly followed because these hoses tend to stick to each other and to other cables and hoses.

It is especially important for flat cables to move freely at the bend radius. Two adjacent flat cables should be kept apart with separators. If two flat cables are laid on top of one another, we strongly recommend horizontal interior separation. Flat and round cables should be laid separately in the energy chain. There should be strain relief at both ends. Flat cables are only recommended to a limited extent for use in energy chains.

During planning, pay special attention to longitudinal and transverse expansion when the hoses are pressurised. We recommend energy chains with crossbars every link to distribute the force of the hoses over more crossbars. Sufficient room must be left (20% clearance). It is important for selected hoses to be sufficiently flexible (they must bend in the specified radius). The surface of the hoses must also be abrasion-resistant and able to glide. The igus interior separation elements minimise hose abrasion with their wide, smooth, rounded contact surfaces. Hoses with textile braiding are usually more flexible than those with steel wire braiding. Because lateral hydraulic hose movements within the energy chain can lead to increased abrasion in the hose material, hoses should be secured in position with vertical separators, and jamming must be avoided. Notch separators that snap into the crossbar, for example, keep the hoses firmly in place in the energy chain even if there is strong vibration and shocks.