Bearing technology & energy chains for height-adjustable driver's cab

energy chain and plain bearings from igus® enable the safe operation of height-adjustable cabs
SENNEBOGEN Maschinenfabrik GmbH machines are equipped with automatically height-adjustable operator cabs to ensure safe and efficient operation when working with heavy equipment.

They give the machine operator a better overview of what is happening, for example when demolition work is being carried out or raw materials are being loaded from A to B.

The energy chain from igus® ensures safe guidance of the cables and hoses from the machine to the operator's cab. Maintenance-free bearings are made possible by iglidur® plain bearings.

The driver's cab must be able to be raised and lowered 2.70 m in a short time. The protection of the cable to the driver's cab must be guaranteed. In addition, the maintenance effort for bearings on the adjustable driver's cab should be reduced. To achieve this, alternatives to the brass plain bearings previously used were sought.

By using igus® energy chain, the cables are not only protected and achieve a longer service life, they are also installed more quickly. The switch from brass to iglidur® bearings also meant that the use of additional lubricants at the bearing points is no longer necessary. Maintenance intervals could thus be extended and costs saved.

Whether duty cycle crawler cranes, crawler cranes, telehandlers, harbour cranes, material handlers or telescopic handlers - 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, whereby 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 customised and manufactured. "In principle, we offer a kind of modular system," explains Florian Attenhauser, PR Manager at SENNEBOGEN. "Whether machines on ships or rail, with electric or diesel drive with variable boom lengths or even an automatically height-adjustable operator's cab." The latter pays off during handling or demolition work, for example, to give the machine operator a better overview of what is happening. SENNEBOGEN has been offering this technology to its customers for over 20 years.

With the height-adjustable E270 cab, which is used most frequently at SENNEBOGEN, the cab can travel up the 2.70 metres in ten seconds and back down again in eight seconds. SENNEBOGEN relies on energy chains from motion plastic specialist igus® to ensure the supply of power, data and hydraulics to the driver's cab. They protect the cable and hose safely and gently. "Thanks to the energy chain, everything is neatly routed and there is no more confusion," explains Ali Gülyaz, design engineer at SENNEBOGEN. "It also makes installation much quicker, as all the cables and hoses are already in the right place."
 
Originally, a competitor's energy chain was used here before the solution from igus® was implemented four years ago. "The competitor's chain 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 external dimensions. And with hydraulic lines in particular, which are moved over and over again, three to four millimetres more space makes a big difference."

The energy chain used here is a 14040 with extension link from the E4 light series. Like SENNEBOGEN, igus® relies on a modular principle for its products. This allows customers to put together the best solution for them according to their requirements, with the experts from igus® always on hand to provide advice. In the case of the travelling cab from SENNEBOGEN, for example, the extension link in the energy chain separates the energy and data cables from the hydraulic hoses in order to increase the service life of the guided cable and hose.
 
Before the solution went into series production, the users at SENNEBOGEN had to be convinced of the durability of the igus® e-chain®. "We tested the first material handler that 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 together with SENNEBOGEN, all the components still looked like new." This durability also convinced SENNEBOGEN.

In addition to the energy supply, SENNEBOGEN also uses products from the second major business division of igus®, bearing technology. For example, on the parallelogram guide in smaller height-adjustable 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 have prevailed over brass in the test." In addition to the cost savings, the iglidur® plastic bearings from igus® have the advantage over metal alternatives that they do not need to be lubricated. "Our bearings consist of plastic compounds made from highly wear-resistant polymers," explains Thomas Weber, the technical sales consultant responsible for bearing technology at igus®. "Improved by the addition of reinforcing and solid lubricants, external lubrication and therefore maintenance of the bearing is no longer necessary."