Trouble-free despite dirt

Energy chains and bearing technology from igus are used in roller table of Haas Maschinenbau GmbH

Haas Maschinenbau GmbH is a family business that manufactures both individual components and entire machines individually according to customer requirements. For a current customer project, the machine manufacturer designed a 10-metre-long roller table that can be adjusted asynchronously in width and in which four hydraulic lifting and lowering vacuum platforms were installed. Both roller conveyor halves are driven separately and enable the transfer and removal of caravan roofs that have been milled to size on an upstream CNC machining centre. After the component has been transferred, additional bends and curves are made along the entire length of the component.
For the energy supply system, however, there was the problem that heavy dirt is generated in the overall system, which affects the individual components. The milling machine produces aluminium chips, wood chips and fine dust from composite materials, which are inevitably introduced into the conveyor system. Due to the long installation length of the roller conveyor, twisting and turning during the change in width was unavoidable; a high-precision guide system using recirculating ball bearing guides would have led to malfunctions and blockage.
All the feared problems were counteracted by the use of energy chains and bearings from igus. The application is in trouble-free operation, which makes the end customer in particular very happy today. There is no maintenance effort for the customer in the complete motion technology. Moreover, it is guaranteed with a simultaneous significant overall cost reduction. The budget was thus met and a follow-up plant with igus products is already on the cards.