Module Connect ensures fast commissioning of the energy supply system in the wood-working industry

• What was needed: ready-to-install, pre-assembled energy chain that can be put into operation quickly
• Requirements: simple assembly, great time savings, a central interface instead of many individual connectors
• Products: igus® readychain® assembled energy chain and interface solution Module Connect
• Industry: Wood industry
• Success for the customer: Simple and fast commissioning and the customer is able to connect and disconnect the self-coded assembly at any time if service is

required. Application: There are four machines that are used in the timber industry to manufacture furniture. They function in a similar way to a warehouse with finished wooden elements.

Inside the machines there are special partition walls behind which the wooden elements wait for their next processing step. They work with very high precision and are in operation 24 hours a day.
In addition, the machines each have two axes, motors, many sensors and other signals, which is why a centralised and compact interface offers a major advantage.

The main challenge in this project for our customer was that the cable route through the machine from the consumer to the control cabinet was 100 metres. This poses logistical challenges in the event of servicing, where there are planned or unplanned downtimes. On the one hand, a pre-assembled energy chain with 100 metres of cable including intermediate connection points could be ordered and this correspondingly heavy system could then be routed through the hall, which takes a lot of time and effort during installation. Alternatively, individual parts can be purchased, which are lighter and easier to handle, but in turn lead to additional work and are prone to errors during installation and completion. There is also a loss of production during the installation time.

In addition, the customer's four machines work independently of each other. However, they are connected to each other via a safety circuit. If one machine breaks down, all four machines are stopped. This is why it is so important for our customer to be able to safely replace the entire energy chain in the event of a machine standstill, thus saving valuable time.

The ready-to-connect readychain® complete solution offers the customer the greatest advantages in this application. We have therefore designed ready-made energy chains including the pluggable interface solution Module Connect for his machines. The cable set was completely realised with igus® own chainflex® cables, which are specially designed for moving applications. Furthermore, the interface solution with Module Connect was planned in such a way that the various cable types, from servo to bus to data cable, could all be safely connected to the system in one interface. This could only be realised in a compact and safe manner thanks to the modular structure of Module Connect with its numerous application options.

Thanks to the igus® interface solution, the customer is now able to plug and unplug the self-coded assembly at any time - absolutely concealed and without specialised personnel. The individually configured assemblies now offer a high degree of modularity and reliable production processes. Work on this system often takes several days. As a result, Module Connect not only simplifies handling considerably, but also significantly reduces downtimes and therefore maintenance costs.