In a bid to ensure safety of the users, igus, German manufacturer and distributor of plastic plain bearings, spherical bearings, linear guides, cable carriers and continuous-flex cables, has decided to offer a 36-month guarantee on its energy chains.

It is easy and quick for the customer to obtain the certificate. In order to do this, one can just use the online service life calculator for e-chains and enter the dynamic specifications and the environmental conditions of the application. This online tool will then calculate the guaranteed service life of the energy chain. With one click, the customer receives the certificate by e-mail.

To determine the service life of its products, igus puts them through their paces under the most adverse conditions all the way up to a total failure in its own 3,800-square-metre laboratory. The result: 10 billion e-chain cycles per year. Based on this test data, the motion plastics specialist has been able to grant a 36-month guarantee on its chainflex cable range since 2015. In its efforts to always keep its energy chain users on the safe side, igus now becomes the only provider worldwide to offer a 36-month service life guarantee on its e-chains.

The service life calculator helps igus to live up to this promise. Using the data from the test laboratory, it determines the operating time of the igus standard energy chains in customised applications. Over 4,000 tests and more than 7,500 results flow into the online tool. More tests are performed every day in the endeavour to deliver more precise statements about the service life. According to the manufacturer, the service life of energy chains is often 10 years or more.

"The new guarantee service gives buyers the surety of being able to design their individual application exactly, and always choose the most cost-effective e-chain that works with reliability", explains Michael Blass, Head- E-chain Systems Division, igus, said, "If an energy chain fails due to wear and tear within the guarantee period, the customer will receive a free replacement."

(Source: igus)