Ultraquiet roller energy chain

In addition to the roller energy chain type 4040 CR, various chainflex® cables from igus® are also used in the system, which have been specially designed and constructed for the movements in e-chain®. Single core, control, motor and bus cables as well as fibre optic cables were also used. This is because very fast and secure data transmission is essential in container terminals with a high degree of automation.
After TÜV Süd had confirmed compliance with all regulations by means of a noise test, a similar system was finally used on another crane with the same noise requirements.

In addition to the energy chain system from igus®, alternative energy supply solutions were also considered during the planning phase. However, festooning could not be realised for several technical reasons. Firstly, the thick cable strands would have protruded too far into the public space under the crane. It would also not have been possible to relocate the cable station required for a festoon to the other side of the crane, as the installation would have been suspended directly above the water.

igus® has also further developed its roller energy chains, not least due to the ever-increasing requirements such as higher speeds and accelerations during cross-travelling, increased environmental requirements and maximum system availability. The fifth generation, the roller energy chain " P4 ", is even smoother running and therefore quieter and has a significantly longer service life than the energy chain used at the North Terminal. As two profile rollers on the upper run do not run exactly on the lower run, but are offset, the pair of rollers on the upper run roll past those on the lower run, which means that the rollers run smoothly on a continuous surface over the entire journey. Shocks and vibrations are eliminated, protecting the chain. This means that the system's high expectations in terms of service life and noise level can also be easily met in the future.