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Lubrication-free plastic energy chain replaces metal cable guidance in steel mill

The previous metal energy chain had to be lubricated and was susceptible to dust and dirt.

As the metal chain was constantly damaging the cable in this unloading station for raw metal and scrap metal and causing breakdowns, the operator decided to take a new approach. Replacing it with an E4.4 plastic-energy chain with specially designed chainflex® cables was the breakthrough. There have been no more problems to report since 2007. This saves the operator valuable time and money.

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Steel mill energy chain

The new E4.4 plastic energy chain has been running without incident since 2007.

Problem

In the Mobareaka steel factory, raw metal and scrap metal are fed into a process to produce new steel. Previously, a metal chain was always used to guide the cables at the unloading station, while the cables themselves were made of rubber and supplemented with the necessary accessories such as drive rollers or support drums for the support.
However, the use of a metal chain posed several problems for the operator of the system. In particular, the heavy weight of the metal chain, the prevailing dust load and the contamination with lubricants and oils used in the system prompted the operator to look for a new cable routing concept.
The situation became particularly urgent after the sharp edges of the chain and the constant exposure to sunlight led to repeatedly damaged cables.

Solution

The operator of the steel factory ultimately decided to replace the metal chain with one of our plastic-energy chains. After inspecting the plant, we suggested to the customer the use of an e-chain® from the E4.4 modular system (series 4040.36.200.0) in combination with chainflex® cables (series CF35.40.04, CF10.15.04, CF9.15.12, CF310.350.01 and CFPE.350.01) specially designed for moving applications
Thanks to its robust modular design, the tried-and-tested E4.4 energy chain series is particularly suitable for harsh environmental conditions and long travel distances. It also allows high rigidity and a high load limit. In addition, the conversion of the material to plastic means that the entire system is free of lubricating grease, making the solution virtually maintenance-free. The optimally matched materials between the chain and cable and the experience gained from numerous similar applications around the world increase the service life of this application in the steelworks and reduce overall costs. On request, we therefore also offer a system guarantee for such applications. 
But the replacement was not only worthwhile on paper: since the changeover to the new system, which took just under two working days, the application has been running without any problems since November 2007.

Energy chain, old solution

The previous metal chain led to repeated cable failures. Various additional devices were also required for the energy supply systems.

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