Robust energy chains and cables for the mining an bulk handling technology

Safe bulk material conveyance with energy chains and sensors in bucket wheel equipment
This bucket wheel device for extracting coal is used in Banawala, India. The set-down and recharging device travels along 700 metres of rail and must be reliably supplied with power along this route. But the cable drum for supply increasingly allowed failures and damage to the exposed sensitive high-voltage cable, so the operator was looking for a more maintenance-friendly alternative. Today, the system uses an energy chain that, together with cables and monitoring sensors, has significantly increased reliability and safety during operation.

Energy chains in aluminium oxide production outdoor storage

Reliable power supply in dusty and dirty environments
During the mining and subsequent storage of bauxite, a sedimentary rock for the production of aluminium oxide, a lot of dust is produced, which is a major challenge especially for the moving machine parts of the conveyor units. Partly for this reason, the Aluminum Oxid Stade GmbH (AOS), one of the major German alumina producers, decided to use energy chains of igus. For several years now, they have reliably supplied conveyor units and bulk handling equipment with energy, data and media.

World record with 670m

Longest travel with rol e-chain system
For an international customer, our engineering teams in Germany and India have implemented the world's longest travel with an e-chain system. For years, the customer had recurring problems with the power supply, which was implemented by motor cable reels and ribbon cables on two bucket wheel excavators. This repeatedly led to production downtimes. After the installation of the new e-chain system with smart condition monitoring, the plant has been running perfectly.

Lignite excavator

In operation since 2008 without failure on a 615m travel
At the Czech lignite power plant Tušimice, coal is stored in a lengthy heap on the edge of the power plant site. To pile the coal automatically on the heap, a stacker is used. Originally, a cable reel was used for the power supply but the cables repeatedly froze in the winter, which led to system failures The operators switched to an energy chain system from igus. This has ensured a reliable operation without failure for many years.

Ship unloader

Travel of 441m and in operation without failure since 2001
Series 5050R energy chains, CFCrane chainflex cables and fibre optic cables are used in ship unloaders at a modern coal-fired power plant in Malaysia. All energy chains are equipped with a stainless steel guide trough and can withstand harsh weather conditions.

bulk handling in taconite mine

plastic-energy chain at -35°C, snow and ice
A low-maintenance plastic energy chain was installed on a 550 metre long travel path on a conveyor system for transporting taconite in the North Shore Mine in Minnesota: This is one of the longest travel paths realised with a plastic energy chain worldwide. In addition to the taxiway, the temperatures, which can drop below -30°C in winter, as well as ice and snow, also played a decisive role in the choice of cable routing.