Guidefast control system for the manual control of indoor cranes

While energy chain systems are becoming the standard for energy supply on port cranes, they are also being increasingly used on indoor cranes. The advantages compared with festoon cables are clear: an energy chain system protects the cables inside it, ensuring they have a minimum bend radius and physical protection. This is also the case for the manual control of indoor cranes, where the new guidefast control energy chain system safely transmits signals via control cables. A trough guides the energy chain and cables, as well as the overhead crane pendant, even with a short-term high tensile load.

As with the guidefast guide trough for the cable guidance of the hoist and trolley for lifting gear, the guidefast control can also be installed quickly and easily: in the first step of the assembly, the guide trough is fastened to the side of the crane girder saving space and negating the need for welding. It is then hooked and bolted into the support, which also saves installation time. In operation, the moving end arm can be easily moved and positioned by the overhead crane pendant along the entire crane girder, regardless of the position of the lifting gear thanks to the self-lubricating and maintenance-free xiros polymer ball bearings.

The complete igus guidefast control system is independent of the crane manufacturer and therefore can be used with any crane system or operating device both indoors and outdoors. When selecting the cables, igus offers designers a choice of 1,244 different chainflex cables that have been developed specifically for movement in energy chains.

New high-end cables with outer jackets made of halogen-free TPE, can be specified for indoor cranes operating under tough conditions, very long travels or extremely low temperatures down to -35°C, for example in deep-freeze storage, even with the small bending radii. 

igus guarantees a life of 36 months on all chainflex cables. This is only possible through continuous tests under real conditions in its test laboratory in Cologne, Germany. The results make it possible to reliably predict the service life and the specific temperatures and bend radii in which the cable can be safely used.