Cranes
Reduce costs for indoor cranes by up to 40% with new igus glide-chain
07. March 2025motion plastics specialist develops lightweight energy chain for simple gliding applications with long travels
igus has developed a new cost-effective energy chain, the glide-chain, specifically for gliding applications such as indoor cranes. (Source: igus GmbH) The energy chain specialist igus is presenting its new energy chain called “glide-chain” at the Hannover Messe. It has been developed specifically for gliding applications and is ideal for travels of up to 30m, as is the case with indoor cranes, for example. Its slim design ensures cost savings of 30 to 40%.
Energy chains made of high-performance plastics are in use all over the world. They are primarily intended to guide cables reliably, e.g. on indoor cranes that are used in production halls. igus has now developed a new, particularly cost-effective and lightweight chain especially for very simple gliding applications with travels of up to 30m. The glide-chain G4.42 is characterised by its extra-large sliding surfaces and specific material, which is only used where it is needed for sliding movements. Thanks to this innovative design the G4.42 is up to 25% lighter than standard igus chains. Another advantage of the G4.42 is the cost-optimised side link, which is used on the left and right. In combination with the large pitch, the glide-chain consists of just a few individual and different components. This results in a price advantage of 30 to 40% compared to standard chains with the same dimensions from igus’s E2 and E4 product range. “In times when customers are under massive pressure to reduce their costs, we have developed a product that not only saves money, but also has a long service life in the application,” says Christian Ziegler, Head of Product Management e-chains at igus. The new glide-chain was also subjected to intensive test series in the company’s own 4,000m2 test laboratory. Furthermore, igus gives a four-year guarantee on all its energy chains.
Recycling energy chains
What happens when an energy chain reaches the end of its service life? For this purpose, igus has launched the “chainge” programme. The recycling initiative intends to reuse worn out energy chains in an environmentally friendly way. Regardless of the manufacturer, old plastic chains can be sent in for recycling and contribute to the circular economy. In return, participants in the programme receive a voucher for the purchase of new igus products. Since the launch of the programme, igus has already recycled over 170t of plastic. The plastics specialist uses the recycled material to manufacture new energy chain series. For example, the standard E2.1 series from igus now consists of recycled material.
You can find more information about the glide-chain online at: https://www.igus.eu/energy-chain/news/series-g4-42
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Reduce costs for indoor cranes by up to 40% with new igus glide-chain
