Energy chains, cables, bearing products, and sensors for material handling

Products for movement. maintenance-free and low-noise use in continuous logistical operation.
Warehousing without interrupting logistics is essential for fast supply chains. Customers do not want to wait unnecessarily for their goods; for manufacturers, on-time delivery is a decisive competitive advantage. The processes are largely automated, especially for large-scale material handling. In addition to industrial trucks, lift tables and palletisers, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and storage and retrieval machines (SRMs) move unit loads and parcels autonomously. Our products support 24/7 operation because they are lubrication-free and therefore maintenance-free. In addition, our energy chain, cable, plain and linear bearings save weight and installation space, an important aspect especially in high-bay warehouses.

RBG & Shuttles

Space-saving, durable energy supply systems for storage and retrieval machines, shuttle systems and transfer trolleys

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Industrial trucks

Lubrication- and maintenance-free plain and linear bearings for forklifts, automated guided vehicles, etc.

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Lift tables

Heavy-duty plastic plain bearings for cylinder and scissor joints of lift tables

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conveyor technology

maintenance-free components for overhead systems, roller conveyors, ball tables and other conveyor systems

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Avoid bearing failures with smart plastic

smart plastic increases reliability in logistics. The intelligent sensor system reports the status and recommended maintenance dates of products such as energy chains or cables.

Your benefits

Reduce maintenance costs and eliminate unplanned downtime
Extend service life and increase system efficiency
Save time - faster identification of the causes of anomalies

white paper: Advantages and applications of smart plasticFind out more about smart plastics

white paper

Safe energy transmission in material handling

How can machine parts work dynamically over long distances and still be safely supplied with electricity?

This white paper looks at e-chain® and busbar systems for cable routing in indoor and outdoor cranes, electric monorail systems, electric hoists, storage and retrieval units (SRU) and transfer cars (QVW).

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Success stories

Vertical energy supply in storage and retrieval machines from SIVAPlan
SIVAplan has trialled the "guidelok slimline P" energy supply for its storage and retrieval machines, which saves weight and, above all, is much quicker to install - with success. The system is now proving its worth in series production.

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X-ray robots from Buck Engineering & Consulting

Maintenance-free plain bearings in autonomous transport vehicles
In this AGV, the suspension mechanism is exposed to vibrations and high forces with a payload of up to 550 kg. For this reason and for space reasons, polymer plain bearings of the iglidur® Z series are used in the transport vehicles.

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...and other success stories
High-bay warehouse, AGV, order picker or industrial truck. Discover in this selection of application examples where our storage products, energy chain and cables are used in material handling.

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igus® informs: Important trends and topics in material handling

How can I eliminate lubrication and maintenance in my AGV?

Automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) are intended to cover the longest possible distances in the warehouse, completely autonomously, over a long period of time. But to do this, they, and especially their mechanical components, have to be absolutely maintenance-free. This blog post will tell you how to use lubrication-free linear and plain bearings to do this and what role slewing ring bearings play.

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How do I save money with sensors in material handling?

In the interest of the logistics chain functioning without interruption, sensors are increasingly shaping the work environment in warehouses and picking areas. This blog post shows how i.Sense sensor technology on the energy chain, cables, and even individual plain bearings can provide more control and reliability and reduce costs.

Horizontal cable routing in RBGs in confined spaces

If a cable guidance system is designed for stacker cranes, two problems often arise: space and speed. How do I find a solution that increases my SRU's efficiency?
Our autoglide 5 energy chain gives our customers just this solution. This blog post gives you an overview of what cable guidance systems can do and where they are worth using.

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Vertical cable routing in RBG'S in confined spaces

busbar system are often the Choice for vertical cable routing in the RBG. The reason is usually their space-saving design.
Our guidelite ECO shows how energy chains can be very narrow and guarantee long service life that has been tested in the laboratory.

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