Cutting-edge plastic e-chain protects cables in cleanrooms
Advanced polymer manufacturer, igus has developed the C6 cleanroom energy chain in combination with a new e-spin upper-run guide wheel, offering a compact and durable solution for energy and data supply in cleanrooms, even for long travel distances. It is ideal for microelectronics, semiconductor, pharmaceutical and battery production applications where surroundings must remain free of particles while maintaining high production rates.
With increasing automation and constantly growing systems, the routes for material transport are also becoming longer. A key challenge is ensuring energy and data cables can move freely while minimising wear and tear. According to igus managing director, Ian Hewat, standard energy chains usually require complex extraction systems for microparticles, while the new igus C6 energy chain in combination with the e-spin upper-run guide wheel, offers a solution that allows compact and durable energy supply in cleanrooms even for long travel distances.
“Cleanrooms have strict requirements for cleanliness and the exclusion of particles which makes manual transport within the cleanroom unfeasible. This has led to the development of cleanroom-compatible energy chains that are durable and cost-effective alternatives to costly hoist and manual systems,” says Hewat.
He explains that igus solved the dilemma by developing the e-spin guide system for the C6 cleanroom energy chain. It consists of guide wheels made of tribologically optimised high-performance plastic, the same material used across igus energy chains, optimised for friction and wear. The wheels are located between the upper and lower run of the energy chain, so the chain parts roll on top of each other instead of gliding, preventing particle emissions.
This allows the system to be used without an extraction unit, enabling design engineers to reduce the complexity of energy supply in transport systems and save costs in the process.
Laboratory tests showed that the high-performance plastics achieve cleanroom Class ISO 1 at a speed of 0,5 m/s, ideal for all sorts of applications where designers can collaborate with igus’s technical team to specify the correct systems for their requirements.
