Energy chains and plain bearings from igus enable the safe operation of height-adjustable cabs

In order to be able to work safely and efficiently while working with heavy equipment, the machines of SENNEBOGEN Maschinenfabrik GmbH have operator cabins with automatic height adjustment.
 
They provide the machine operator a better overview of what is happening, for example when demolition work has to be done or raw materials are loaded from A to B.
 
Energy chains from igus ensure that cables and hoses are safely guided from the machine to the operator's cabin. Maintenance-free bearing points are made possible by iglidur plain bearings. 

Problem

The driver's cab must be able to be raised and lowered 2.70 m in a short time. The protection of the cables to the driver's cab must be guaranteed. In addition, the maintenance output for bearing points on the adjustable driver's cab must be reduced. For this purpose, alternatives were sought to replace the brass plain bearings used so far.

Solution

By using igus energy chains, the cables are not only protected and achieve a longer service life, they are also installed more quickly. The change from brass to iglidur plain bearings also meant that the use of additional lubricants at the bearing points became unnecessary. Maintenance intervals could thus be extended and costs saved.

Florian Attenhauser, Marketing/PR Manager at SENNEBOGEN (right), talking to Thomas Weber, Technical Sales Consultant in charge of bearing technology at igus.

Whether cable excavators, crawler cranes, tele and harbour cranes, handling excavators or telescopic loaders - SENNEBOGEN Maschinenfabrik GmbH, founded in 1952 and headquartered in Straubing/ Lower Bavaria, manufactures a wide variety of machines and has established itself as a full-range supplier and quality leader with its comprehensive product lines. Today, the company employs around 1,700 people worldwide, although the complete development and assembly of the machines is still carried out exclusively in Germany at the Straubing and Wackersdorf sites.
 
The majority of the machines are designed and manufactured according to customer specifications. "In principle, we offer a kind of modular system," explains Florian Attenhauser, PR Manager at SENNEBOGEN. "Whether machines on ships or rails, with electric or diesel drive with variable boom lengths or even an automatically height-adjustable driver's cab." The latter pays off, for example, in handling or even demolition work to give the machine operator a better overview of what is happening. This technology has been offered by SENNEBOGEN to its customers for over 20 years.

The height-adjustable E270 cab, which is the most commonly used cab at SENNEBOGEN, allows the cab to move up 2.70 m in ten seconds and back down in eight seconds. To ensure the supply of energy, data and hydraulics to the driver's cab, SENNEBOGEN relies on energy chains from motion plastics specialist igus. They protect cables and hoses safely and gently. "Thanks to the energy chains, everything is neatly laid and there is no more clutter," explains Ali Gülyaz, designer at SENNEBOGEN. "It also makes for much faster installation, as all the cables and hoses are already in the right place."
 
The energy chain of a competitor was used originally, before the igus solution was implemented here four years ago. "The chain from the competition was very full," recalls Dieter Reitz, Sales Manager e-chain Germany, from igus. "With our chain, there is more space inside the chain with the same outer dimensions. Especially for hydraulic cables that are continuously moved, more space of three to four millimetres makes a big difference."

The energy chain used here is a 14040 with extension link of the E4 light series. Like SENNEBOGEN, igus also relies on a modular principle for its products. This allows customers to put together the best solution for them according to their requirements, with igus experts always on hand to offer advice. In the case of the SENNEBOGEN movable cab, for example, the extension link in the energy chain ensures separation of the energy and data cables from the hydraulic hoses in order to increase the service life of the cables and hoses that are guided.
 
Before the solution went into volume production, the users at SENNEBOGEN had to be convinced of the durability of the igus e-chain. "We tested the first rehandling excavator we equipped back then for a year in a scrap yard under real conditions," recalls Dieter Reitz from igus. "When we subsequently examined the energy supply system together with SENNEBOGEN, all components still looked like new." This durability also impressed SENNEBOGEN.
 
In addition to the energy supply system, SENNEBOGEN also uses products from igus' second major business division, bearing technology. For example, in the parallelogram guide for smaller height-adjustable driver's cabs. "We used to use brass bushings here," explains Ali Gülyaz from SENNEBOGEN. "However, the bearings from igus are unbeatable in terms of price and came out on top against brass in the test." In addition to the cost savings, the iglidur plastic plain bearings from igus have the advantage over metallic alternatives that they do not need to be lubricated. "Our bearings are made of plastic compounds of highly wear-resistant polymers," explains Thomas Weber, the technical sales consultant in charge of bearing technology at igus. "Improved by adding reinforcing agents and solid lubricants, this eliminates the need for external lubrication and thus bearing maintenance."