ReadyChain, igus UK

Pre-Harnessed and Ready to Fit Energy Supply Systems for Machine Tool Manufacture

News Release from: igus UK Limited
03/07/2008

The machine tool industry in the UK holds a key position in general mechanical engineering. Everything from space telescopes to toy trains, from artificial hip joints to mobile phones are manufactured directly or indirectly using machine-tools. The focus is increasingly on cost reduction driven by competition from the Far East. With their tailored parts and systems, especially pre-harnessed energy supply systems ("ReadyChain"), igus UK gives the machine tool manufacturing industry tools that will help increase competitiveness for the future.

Speed is crucial for competitiveness

The demands of machine tools in terms of flexibility and productivity are ever increasing. These challenges can only be resolved by intelligent automation concepts. The trend is increasingly aimed at an integrated approach. This extends from the acquisition costs to the total costs for the complete service life of the machine, and includes the availability and the ease of operation. This means that early cooperation between the subsystem supplier and the machine manufacturer can be crucial for market success.

Short assembly times, no storage costs

The solution lies in standardisation. With the help of pre-harnessed energy supply systems, assembly times decrease and storage costs drop to zero. Capacity fluctuations can therefore be easily managed. The machine manufacturer passes on the entire procurement process for all of the necessary special parts, sheet-metal panels, machined parts and hydraulic components, to allow provision of the full turn-key system on the required delivery date. The machine tool manufacturing industry, which mainly consists of small and medium-sized companies, can use the ReadyChain® energy supply systems to reduce assembly times of several months to a few days, and can thus keep ahead of the game.