igus Enhances Safety at Operating Panels and Manual Workstations
July 29, 2020
igus has introduced a cable reel that can guide cables and hoses for the transmission of energy, media, and data without interruption. The e-spool flex increases safety at manual workstations and operating panels. For quick installation of the cable reel, the developers opted for a worm guide. The cable is inserted in a few simple steps, and the e-spool is ready for use.
In order to be able to use tools and operating panels flexibly in production, they require appropriately long cables and hoses. However, these are often strewn across the manufacturing floor without any protection and constitute a tripping hazard.
Cable reels with slip rings offer a solution for energy transmission but are often only available as a complete package with a new cable. Another disadvantage is the fast transmission of large amounts of data and media is very complicated with slip rings. Those were the important reasons behind igus’ development of the e-spool flex, a cable reel with a worm guide.
For fast assembly, igus relies on a worm guide in which the cable or hose is inserted. The guide is then inserted into the outer and winding housing of the e-spool flex in a few simple steps. This means that cables can move flexibly in free use and are quickly and cleanly stowed away after use.
The new e-spool flex is available in two versions: one is a low-cost version with a manual turner to wind up the cable or an automatic solution with a brake and a spring-driven return mechanism. The e-spool flex is available in three sizes for cables with a diameter of 5 to 11 millimeters and an extension length of 5 to 15 meters. The cables can be quickly replaced at any time.
In addition to a subsequent integration of the e-spool flex with an existing cable, igus also offers the cable reel solution fully harnessed with chainflex cables specifically designed for moving applications. New igus cable reel with worm guide ensures more safety on operating panels and in assembly areas
- Cost-effective
- Without interruption (no slip ring) also for energy,
data, fluids and air - Space-saving
- Can be fitted universally
- Simple replacement of the used cable, therefore adaptable
- Constant tensile strain on the cable
- Locking mechanism of the cable
