PVC cables for movement in the energy chain: we are THE cable expert

With more than 30 years of experience, countless tests and satisfied customers

If you need a cable specifically for movement, you quickly face the question of the ideal material for the outer jacket. People often tend to go for the more expensive PUR or TPE versions. But is this always the best choice? What about the material that seems to be omnipresent- the well-known PVC? igus has known the advantages of PVC for decades. PVC is the ideal jacket material for certain environments and operating conditions, and saves costs at the same time! You can find numerous details on PVC cables here.

Not all PVC is the same: More information about our PVC cables

PVC cables test reports and recommendations White paper Why is igus PVC so good?

Did you know? The first chainflex cable was a PVC cable

The CF1 was the very first chainflex cable that was specifically developed for permanent use in energy chains. This cable happened to be a PVC cable and was part of our product range for a long time.
It was refined technically and the PVC compounds were also constantly optimised. As a result, our portfolio now contains a large number of other PVC cables. We are experts and know which PVC cable is the right one for your application.

And we can prove it! Thanks to our continuous testing, we can give you a guarantee of up to four years on our cables. This makes us unique on the market to date!

The idea was born to develop a special performance product range for moving applications in the energy chain. The first chainflex control cable of the CF1 series with PVC outer jacket was developed in co-operation with the University of Cologne. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was chosen as the jacket material to launch the first cable series for use in the energy chain due to its excellent abrasion specifications, flame resistance and good customisability. Another characteristic feature of this cable is the principle of cores wound in bundles with short pitch lengths, which is still typical today and avoids wear and "corkscrew".

Katharina Wielpütz

Business Development Manager chainflex®

Advantages of PVC:

chainflex PVC cables ... have very good abrasion behaviour in energy chains!

The surface of PVC is significantly smoother than that of other jacket materials, such as PUR (polyurethane), which is beneficial for use in energy chains.

chainflex PVC cables ... last longer in applications with temperatures from +5°C to +70°C

Thanks to continuous testing in our 5,500m² test laboratory with climate chamber, we can guarantee that our PVC cables withstand temperatures from+5 to +70°C.

chainflex PVC cable ... have the perfect PVC mixture for use in energy chains

There are thousands of different PVC compounds, and finding the ideal one for continuous motion is not easy. Learn more in our white paper.

chainflex PVC cables ... last even when subjected to small quantities of oil

The mixture also plays a major role here. Our decades of experience and continuous testing of the cables have enabled us to find out how to expose PVC to small amounts of oil.