Robust and durable cable guidance for palletisers in the beverage industry

• What was needed: E4.1 series energy chain, chainflex®-cable
• Requirements: The manufacturer was looking for a standardised chain solution that was robust and durable, quiet and as easy as possible to install and fill.
• Sector: Beverage industry, packaging technology
• Success for the customer: The sophisticated chain design dampens noise in the application, reduces vibrations and increases service life. In addition, the E4.1L can be opened and filled very easily from both sides, which saves time and money.

Beyer Maschinenbau GmbH has established itself as a specialist when it comes to the automated handling of bottles and crates. Beyer systems stack and transport beverage crates, sort and pack empties, palletise full crates and pack bottles into crates fully automatically. Beyer also frequently plans and manufactures complete systems with automated infeed and outfeed technology, including the associated identification technology and connection to the corresponding IT systems.
The MultiPac packers and palletisers in the MultiPal series are among the machine series that Beyer manufactures most frequently. Users can choose between two basic palletiser designs: The MultiPal L systems are equipped with two linear axes, the MultiPal-DS with a rotating column that enables manoeuvrability in up to four axes. Both system types can palletise and depalletise trays, cartons and kegs as well as crates, and also handle pallets. The manufacturer needed a suitable energy chain to supply the palletisers with power, signals and compressed air, and was looking for a standardised solution for a simplified design and higher quality standards.
Noise levels are also a very important criterion for Beyer. The background noise of the systems is a decisive factor in whether the user perceives the mechanics of a system as high-quality or not.
In addition to the stability and reliable function of the cable routing, the system also needed to be as easy as possible to install and fill.

Beyer works with a high level of vertical integration and pays close attention to the optimum selection of purchased components - for example the energy chain. Today, energy chains from the E4.1 series impress with their higher torsional stability compared to the chains previously used by Beyer. For this reason, the manufacturer used the cable routing (in the E4.28 version) across all system series and sizes.
The E4.1L series is also impressive in terms of noise reduction. The individual link plates of the chain links glide smoothly into each other during movement because the wedge-shaped radius stop is slightly bevelled. This dampens noise during stop-dog and when rolling on hard ground. Vibrations are also reduced, which further increases service life.
The E4.1L is also very easy to open and fill from both sides. This saves time, especially when installing on the machine.
In some applications, Beyer also uses the closed version of the energy chain as an energy tube R4.1L - whenever there is a risk of glass breakage in the work area.
Finally, the system specialist also relies on the chainflex® cable systems specially developed for mobile applications. In addition to energy and signal cables, up to four pneumatic hoses with diameters of 12 millimetres are also carried, which "work" when the pressure changes and introduce additional load into the cable carrier system. The E4.1L copes very well with this load.