Igus has introduced its new E4Q energy chain, which can be opened and closed in seconds without tools and has been specifically developed for the special requirements of unsupported lengths and long travels. 

Manually assembled in a matter of seconds: the new E4Q e-chain from igus for unsupported and long travels with a lightweight design and QuickLock crossbars. (Igus GmbH)

Igus, the Germany-based manufacturer of motion plastics, unveiled a prototype of the new E4Q in April at Hannover Messe. The chain links have a smooth, contoured design and a completely new crossbar concept with locking straps for weight reduction.

The company runs its North American operations out of Providence, R.I. More information about the new energy chain is available on the igus website below. 

High unsupported lengths and long travels with large fill weight create extreme stress on energy chains. The igus developers have designed the E4Q e-chain intended for such application scenarios.

Based on the robust energy chain standard E4.1 from igus, the new series brings along a long service life and a high degree of modularity. In order to optimize material and therefore the weight of the energy chain, shapes inspired by nature are used. The smooth, contoured design can be found on the outside of the chain links as well as on the stop-dogs. Despite material recesses, the new development has high strength and stability comparable to the E4.1 series. 

A special feature of the E4Q are the crossbars. These can be opened and closed completely without tools. On the top of the crossbar, there are two hollows for the fingers, by which the locking hooks can be easily pulled up. Unlocked on both sides, the crossbar can be removed with little effort. This allows the easy opening and closing of the chain even in a guide trough and accelerates the filling of the e-chain by up to 40 percent. Another advantage is the new crossbar has significantly higher pull-out forces than its counterparts in the locked state thanks to its innovative type.

 
Due to the special design of the e-chain, it is very quiet in movement. However, if the user desires additional noise reduction, igus has integrated an optional system in the inner horizontal stop-dog for the E4Q. A dampening element is used to cushion the impact between links in operation. The element is made of a new noise-optimized and soft material that further reduces the sound level without restricting the stability of the stop-dogs.