From flat cable to cable chain: increased uptime in cold storage and freezer storage

A company with large refrigerated and frozen storage capacity handles the supply and removal of products using autonomous crane robots. These cranes require power and data supply. Traditionally, this was achieved using long hanging flat cables, but this technology is quite vulnerable. Igus, a supplier of cable carriers, cable carrier systems, and chainflex cables, came up with a solution that is much more robust and requires less maintenance.

To ensure the smooth storage of products in a cold storage and freezer warehouse for various customers, a company uses automated cranes from Westfalia. These cranes automatically and continuously move products to the desired location in compact high-bay warehouses 40 meters high with 100-meter driveways. 

Previous situation

The crane robots require power and data supply. In the past, this was achieved using freely suspended, expensive, custom-made flat cables. This technique proved not to be the best solution. Damage was regularly caused by wood chips from the pallets. In one year, two flat cables broke, leading to a lot of downtime, long delivery times, and high costs. The company therefore sought another solution: a cable carrier from igus.

Terms and Conditions

“The person responsible for the crane robots contacted us and described the conditions that the cable carrier had to meet,” says Robin van Putten, technical sales advisor at igus. “The cable carrier had to be able to bridge a height of 40 meters without any problems, while the solution had to be resistant to environmental parameters such as wood chips. In addition, it was essential that the cable carrier fit seamlessly into the existing guide channel so that the conversion could take place with minimal downtime.”

Cable chain characteristics

A suitable solution for this application was found in a cable carrier from the igus E4.32 series, designed for versatile applications. “The system has an internal height of 32 mm and can be opened along both the inner and outer radii, making maintenance a breeze. The strong crossbars ensure secure locking and noise-reducing properties. In addition, the cable-friendly interior of the cable chain link improves the service life of the chain and ensures a longer service life for the cables it contains.”

Configurator and personal contact

The person responsible for the crane robots adds: “The online configurator made it easy for us to discuss the various options internally with our team, which simplified the process of putting everything together. In addition, igus” personal advice on determining which cable carrier we needed was very valuable. Our contact person at igus also came to our location to take measurements and check whether the chosen solution would meet all our requirements. We found this collaboration to be very pleasant."

Planning and prompt service

The installation proceeded according to the planned schedule. The person responsible for the crane bots commented: “In order to carry out the installation with minimal downtime, we hired a number of external parties to make both software and mechanical adjustments, while we also made some preparations ourselves. However, four days before the installation, we discovered that a human error had resulted in the wrong data cable being ordered. igus immediately pulled out all the stops to ensure that the installation could still start at the desired time. And they succeeded. As a supplier, igus really offers added value and thinks along with us. If a part needs to be replaced in the future, we know we can count on personal contact and fast service.”

Continued

The first cable chain has been in use since the beginning of this year. “We are very pleased with the result. A suspended cable chain continuously supplies power and data to the vertically moving part of the crane. So far, we have not detected any signs of wear. We have fewer headaches, less maintenance, and higher uptime. That is why we will also be installing this solution on the other three cranes in our warehouse in the near future.”