autoglide 5 The alternative to the busbar system on long sliding distances of up to 80 metres

Kardex Mlog can look back on over 50 years of experience in the planning, realisation and maintenance of fully automated logistics solutions. During this time, the company has successfully realised over 1,000 projects.

Profile

What was needed: autoglide 5
Previously in use: busbar system
Requirements: particularly long travel distances, high reliability of energy and signal routing
Industry: Material handling
Success for the customer: robust and reliable energy supply, perfectly tailored to the application

Interview with

Alexander Arnold (Design Engineer) | Christian Strauch (Sector Management Material Handling)

Strauch: Mr Arnold, you are a designer and welding engineer at Kardex Mlog and have decided to test the new energy chain autoglide 5 on your in-house SRM. What do you expect to gain from this?

Arnold: We have been using busbar systems for horizontal energy supply for decades. These work, are inexpensive and don't really cause any problems. But of course there are certain weak points. The energy chain autoglide 5 could eliminate these weak points.

Strauch: What "weak points" are you thinking of?

Arnold: A busbar system needs regular maintenance. This means that the brushes of the current collectors have to be replaced from time to time. This is not really a big deal, but the storage and retrieval unit is of course at a standstill during this time, which the operator, i.e. our customer, doesn't like at all.

Secondly, there is the security issue: A busbar system is in principle a safe product, but it has open conductors and theoretically this poses a risk. The energy chain is a little safer in this respect.

That is why there is no alternative to the energy chain in the explosion-proof area. busbar systems must be located outside the concentration area. This restriction does not apply to the energy chain.

Strauch: According to igus® , the autoglide 5 can be installed in a matter of minutes. Is that also important for you?

Arnold: Of course. Time is money and so we can save a lot of money during assembly. According to igus®, the autoglide 5 can be installed within an hour and ...yes, that's right. We were able to see this for ourselves this morning on our RBG. If the test now proves successful, we may well consider using the autoglide 5 as standard instead of a busbar system.

Strauch: Thank you very much.