chainflex® works - guaranteed and certified!

When igus launched the plastic energy chain on the market, many customers were excited about this new product in the field of energy supply systems, as previous solutions had brought some difficulties with them. However, with the introduction of the energy chain came challenges, namely that many cables could not accommodate this new degree of movement. And so, igus was faced with customer statements like the following:
"We didn't have these cable problems before we used plastic energy chains!"
igus had to act. igus needed a cable solution that worked and would last!
The idea was to design cables for permanent use in our plastic energy chains. igus, as a plastics processing company, now had to go into unfamiliar territory.
Once the idea had been conceived, we spent many months planning and designing an optimal setup, producing prototypes and conducting extensive testing. This way we ensured the longest possible service life for our cables, satisfying our customers needs.
As a result, igus introduced the first control cable series CF1 and CF2 in 1989.

Each cable is subjected to the standard tests immediately after manufacture. To this day, none of the worldwide cable standards includes manufacturing and testing regulations in energy chain applications.
This means that relevant manufacturers try to prove the durability of a cable for energy chains on the basis of existing tests or standards. However, the alternating bending test for the flexible cables specified in various test specifications, does not represent realistic energy chain applications.
Furthermore, these tests suggest that an e-chain cable reflects the stress in an e-chain, e.g. by changing bending directions. But these bending loads in the energy chain always follow the chain radius, with constant bend radius and direction. This results in a significantly higher mechanical stress on the cables.
The standard test is therefore not suitable for checking an energy chain cable properly. Therefore, the chainflex laboratory has specialised in its own realistic experiments and tests. We present specific case studies from daily practice. For these standard tests, parameters defined by igus are used: e.g. the cables are tested in different bend radii and travel distances according to their specifications.

At first glance, cables seem like an inconspicuous C-part. However, they have a huge influence on the proper functioning of machines. They are often referred to as a system's umbilical cord and decide whether huge harbour cranes move even a millimetre.
Our customers therefore want guaranteed service life to ensure planning security and reliability. Thanks to our large number of tests, we can give our customers a guaranteed and reliable prediction of our cables' service life.

Why not provide the catalogue range with a firm guarantee so that every user can enjoy peace of mind? Whenever energy or data is being guided or moved, you need cables that can withstand the corresponding loads. We as the global market leader for energy chains are aware of our responsibility. With chainflex, we offer the best possible cable solution that works. Guaranteed.
There are clear statements that take into account the most diverse applications and can even be calculated online. We give a guarantee of up to 36 months on every delivered chainflex cable from our catalogue range. This is based on the knowledge gained in our in-house test laboratory for e-chains, the largest in the world with an area of 2,750m². All our cable types are put through their paces here in over 800 parallel tests. The advertised service life is therefore not an empty promise, but instead based on facts from the numerous tests in e-chains.

igus was the first cable manufacturer to offer the promise of the 36-month guarantee for chainflex cables validated in conjunction with the 2 billion test strokes and 250 million cycles in batch tests. In an elaborate certification process, the US institute "Underwriters Laboratories"  confirmed the accuracy of the statement "igus 36-month chainflex cable guarantee and service life calculator based on 2 billion test cycles per year". This makes igus the first company in Europe to have the truthfulness of an advertising claim confirmed by a neutral testing organisation. In future, no chainflex cable will leave the factory anywhere in the world without the UL test mark with the number B129699.
 
For our customers, this means a good feeling and the certainty that this guarantee statement is not just a marketing claim thrown around. Rather, it is a statement based on real data. In addition, this has now been confirmed once again by one of the largest independent and renowned testing institutes in the world.

Would you like to have the service life of your chainflex cable calculated? This way!

A decisive step for quality and reliability

In 2024, igus extended the guarantee promise for chainflex cable to four years. This sets a new benchmark in the industry. The new guarantee has also been tested and certified by UL, which means that igus offers its customers a unique promise of security.

igus is currently the only manufacturer on the market to officially offer such a guarantee, providing users with additional security for their application planning.

Many years of testing expertise as a basis

The basis for the guarantee promise lies in more than 30 years of testing in the in-house test laboratory at igus. On an area of over 5,500m², chainflex cables are tested under extreme conditions to ensure their reliability and durability. The data obtained is documented in detail and incorporated into comprehensive test reports, which are publicly available on the company's website.

We also provide our customers with a service life calculator. With this tool, users can calculate the exact service life of the cable for their specific applications. If required, the results can be confirmed by a certificate to ensure maximum transparency and verifiability.

White paper UL verified