Test laboratory for energy chains

In the largest test laboratory in the industry, over 10 billion test cycles per year are carried out with energy chain and chainflex® cable at a total of 180 test stations. We test our products under real conditions with the aim of offering the optimum energy supply for every application and being able to make reliable statements about the expected service life. For this reason, we are the only supplier in the world to offer a 4-year guarantee on our energy chain. Regardless of whether your application is located in a dusty desert or icy cold - we test our energy chain systems under the most realistic conditions possible in order to offer you reliable safety in a wide range of applications.

test laboratory for energy chain - facts:

2,147 m² (total area igus® test laboratory 3,800 m²)
Over 15,000 tests per year for all products
53 test systems
10 billion e-chain® cycles per year in the e-chain® and chainflex® test laboratory
3 billion test cycles for e-chain alone®

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What kind of tests are carried out?

energy chains are put through their paces. Both in linear movements of different lengths with travel distances of up to 240 metres and in vertical, circular or torsional movements. 53 test systems, on which up to 295 tests are carried out in parallel, are used to test the load capacity of e-chain®. This results in 4,100 tests with 10 billion cycles per year. One million sets of measurement data are generated in the various laboratories and test areas every year. They flow into an electronic database and form the basis for the further quality improvement of the developed products on the one hand and represent the centrepiece of the igus® service life calculator on the other.

New test rig for long travels

Roller energy chains
Travel speed of up to 8m/s possible
Up to 400 m travel distance can be realised
200 m test track
Fully automated system

Cleanroom laboratory

igus' own cleanroom laboratory according to IPA certification in the technical centre, Cologne. Cleanroom compatibility of chain applications can be tested quickly according to your requirements.

Cold test

Test objective: Temperature resistance of the energy chain at -40 °C
Test setup:

Temperature: -40°C
Travel: 4.32m
Speed: over 0.7m/s
Frequency: approx. 6,900 cycles/day

Test result: energy chain from igus® function without a single wall despite the cold of -40 °C.

Further information on the cold test

Media resistance test

Test objective: media resistance of the energy chain
Test result: The energy chains function perfectly after 100,000 cycles.

What happens to the test results?

The results from all tests are of course incorporated into the new and further development of igus® products. In addition, however, they also form the basis of an extensive database on which igus® 's own product finder and service life calculator are based.

Online tools

On the one hand, the test results flow into the online tool.

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e-chain innovations

And on the other hand, the test results serve as proof of the advantages of the new igus® products. Tech up, cost down. It's our job.

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smart plastics

In addition, all test results are used to derive action recommendations that can be planned over time from the smart plastic sensor data.

For predictive maintenance with i.Cee

Selected tests

energy chain test for unsupported length, tensile strength and breaking strength

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Oil test with energy chain

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Noise test with energy chain

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Volume comparison

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Clean room test energy chain

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Tensile test with the offshore energy chain

Tensile force test with the offshore energy chain

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We would love to test your application

Do you want to avoid experimenting and subject your application to a material test before use? Or do you have an unusual application for which a suitable solution needs to be found? No problem. We will test your application in our test laboratory and use our expertise to find the best igus® solution for you.

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More information

test laboratory
Other areas in the igus® test laboratory: plain bearings, energy chain, cable, linear technology, bar stock and low cost automation.

To the test laboratory

Energy chain systems
energy chain for a wide range of installation spaces and environments. Large product selection - you will find the right solution immediately. With a 4-year guarantee.

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