Cable carriers, also known as drag chains, energy chains, or cable chains depending on the manufacturer, are guides designed to surround and guide flexible

electrical cable An electrical cable is an assembly of one or more wires running side by side or bundled, which is used to carry electric current. One or more electrical cables and their corresponding connectors may be formed into a ''cable assembly'', which ...

s and

hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...

or pneumatic hoses connected to moving automated machinery. They reduce wear and stress on cables and hoses, prevent entanglement, and improve operator safety. Cable carriers may be arranged to accommodate horizontal, vertical, rotary and three-dimensional movements.

History

Steel carriers were introduced to the market for the first time in the 1950s. Their inventor Dr Gilbert Waninger and Dr Waldrich, the owner of the Kabelschlepp, recognized the great potential of these chains at an early stage. Until then flexibles such as cables and hydraulic hoses had simply been allowed to hang loose from machines, resulting in damage and rapid wear. Nowadays, plastic (specifically,

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefins an ...

or PP) cable carriers are also widely used. As of 2007 there were more than seven manufacturers worldwide, including

igus igus is a German manufacturer and distributor of technical products made of high-performance plastics, including plastic plain bearings, flexible cables, energy chains, connectors, robotic components, 3D-printed products and ball bearings. ...

, Brevetti Stendalto, EKD Gelenkrohr, FESMA, Murrplastik, Tsubaki Kabelschlepp, CPSYSTEM, Metreel, M Buttkereit, Gortrac and

Cavotec Cavotec is a global engineering group, headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, and listed on the Nasdaq OMX in Stockholm, Sweden. The group is made up of some 35 sales companies and seven “Centres of Excellence”. It designs and manufactures au ...

Structure

Most carriers have a rectangular cross section, inside which the cables lie. Cross bars along the length of the carrier can be opened from the outside, so that cables can be easily inserted and plugs connected. Internal separators in the carrier separate the cables. Cables can also be held in place with an integrated strain relief. Mounting brackets fix the ends of the carrier to the machine. Besides only bending in one plane due to the rigid jointed structure, cable carriers also often only permit bending in one direction. In combination with rigid mounting of the ends of the carrier, this can entirely prevent the enclosed cables from flopping in undesired directions and becoming tangled or crushed.

Variants

Today cable carriers are available in many different styles, sizes, prices and performance ranges. Some of the following variants are: * open * closed (protection from dirt and debris, such as woodchips or metal shavings) * Steel or Stainless steel * low noise *

cleanroom A cleanroom or clean room is an engineered space, which maintains a very low concentration of airborne particulates. It is well isolated, well-controlled from contamination, and actively cleansed. Such rooms are commonly needed for scientif ...

compliant (minimal wear) * multi-axis movement * high load resistant * chemical, water and temperature resistant

Cables

Cable carriers are often used with special highly

flexible cables Flexible cables, or 'continuous-flex' cables, are electrical cable An electrical cable is an assembly of one or more wires running side by side or bundled, which is used to carry electric current. One or more electrical cables and their c ...

to extend the cables' service life.

Application examples

Cable carriers are used anywhere where there is moving automation involving the transferral of energy, data, liquids or gases. Examples include

machine tools A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, boring, grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some sort of tool that does the cutting or shaping. Al ...

cranes Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname), ...

car wash A car wash, carwash, or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior, and in some cases the interior of motor vehicles. Car washes can be self-service, full-service (with attendants who wash the vehicle), or fully automated (possi ...

es, medical and laboratory equipment, automatic warehousing,

forklifts A forklift (also called lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances. The forklift was developed in the early 20th century by various c ...

industrial robots An industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more axes. Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, disassembly, pick ...

, offshore oil rigs and stage technology.

Heavy duty drag chains

While drag chains are used for several applications and made of different materials, heavy duty drag chains are often created using steel due to its durability. This type of drag chain is often utilised within the oil and gas industry for their offshore operations. A heavy duty drag chain is hardwearing due to the nature of the cabling and hoses that they protect.

References

{{Reflist

External links

List of manufacturers

igus energy chains

Kabelschlepp Cable chains
Cables Wire and cable manufacturers