Energy chains and cables for fail-safe storage and retrieval machines from viastore

Automated and highly flexible storage systems with chainflex special cables and e-chains

The importance of intralogistics is increasing worldwide. System providers such as Viastore Systems plan and implement automatic storage systems – from small parts warehouses to pallet warehouses to shuttle warehouses – including storage and retrieval machines (SRMs). They have to work quickly and flexibly in order to be able to react to changed order cycles and quantities. In addition, users demand fail-safe systems to avoid unplanned downtimes. Viastore relies on the flexible chainflex cables from igus to supply its storage and retrieval machines with energy and data.

Profile User Report

What was needed: energy chains, chainflex cables
Requirements: Safety in the event of rapid lifting movements and vibrations, deep-freeze resistance
Industry: Mechanical engineering, small parts warehouses and storage and retrieval machines (RGBs)
Success for the customer: Savings in enormous process costs and at the same time risk minimization, as the components function perfectly, reliable and durable solutions that ensure high availability of the system and keep maintenance costs low

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Problem

Within intralogistics, providers organize internal material flows using technical systems and software solutions. A fundamental component of this are automatic storage and retrieval machines (SRMs), which move goods and store them in and out of the compartments of the high racks.
Since 1970, the Stuttgart-based company Viastore has been developing and producing storage and retrieval machines for all types of warehouses, in all size and speed classes, and differentiates between three basic types according to travel speed and payload. The smallest system, "Viaspeed", has been specially designed for plastic containers and cartons and for a payload of up to 50 kg. With a travel speed of 6 m/s and an acceleration of 3 m/s², it is highly dynamic. The "Viaspeed XL" stacker crane, on the other hand, can accommodate loads of up to 300 kilograms and transports containers and trays. It has a travel speed of up to 5 m/s and accelerates vertically in 2 m/s². The system can still be used at temperatures from minus 40 degrees Celsius to plus 45 degrees Celsius. Finally, the most powerful storage and retrieval machine, Viapal, lifts pallets, lattice boxes and other loads of up to three tones. The dynamic travel drive makes a travel speed of 3 m/s and a vertical acceleration of 1.5 m/s²possible.
These performances show that the demands on the systems are very high for all RGBs, whether small or large. Viastore offers solutions that are particularly dynamic and flexible and enable more out loading and storage with the increasing number of items and orders. Warehouse operators expect automated solutions to adapt to ordering processes and respond more quickly to peak periods. They also demand reliable and durable solutions that ensure high plant availability and keep maintenance costs low. Against this background, it is crucial that all components in the devices, such as the energy supply solution, function confidently under this high requirement profile and only rarely or never need to be maintained.

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Solution

Today, these requirements are met by the maintenance-free polymer energy chains and chainflex cables from igus. They are mounted in the hoist on the mast of the storage and retrieval machines and supply the systems with energy and data like an umbilical cord. Above all, the fast-lifting movements and vibrations at high device heights or at high travel speeds represent an extremely high load on the cables. Conventional pipes can often form corkscrews, which can lead to a broken core.
For this reason, igus began developing special cables under the brand name chainflex for dynamic use in energy chains as early as 1989. A special feature is their specific structure of bundle stranding. In this case, the wires are not stranded in layers around the center of the line, but stranded together in three, four or five wires, which are then stranded together again to form a total stranding of the bundles. In addition, gusseted extruded inner jackets fill the spaces between the wires. The effect: The stranding cannot twist open and each wire is moved equally in the inner and outer radius during movement in the energy chain. One-sided stretching and compression, which often lead to wire breaks or corkscrews, are a thing of the past. But temperature-resistant cables are also important to Viastore for use in deep-freeze warehouses. They have to withstand small bending radii and millions of strokes at very low temperatures. Not only the design principle, but also the materials used qualify the cables for continuous use in this application. For example, in particularly cold ambient conditions, cables with specially developed, highly cold-flexible TPE outer sheath materials are used. But the large number of cable types in the igus range was also important to the customer. Viastore can flexibly plan for 1,244 chainflex cables – from control and servo cables to motor and robot cables to bus, encoder and fiber optic cables.

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"We need to know how long the expected service life of the chainflex cables is in order to be able to reliably plan the replacement cycles. Unplanned system downtimes must not occur under any circumstances. Therefore, we want to be able to make statements to our customers about the durability of all components installed in our stacker cranes.

Friedbert Dannenhauer

Deputy Head of Design at Viastore, on the relevance of igus' online service life calculation

Service life calculation makes maintenance plannable

igus gives a three-year warranty on the chainflex cables. The company can offer this security because it tests all lines under real conditions. The test results flow into a database, on the basis of which the expected service life of the products is calculated, which every user can also calculate himself on the igus homepage to save time. The basis for the is the igus database, which has grown over decades, in which the results of thousands of tests from the test laboratory as well as decades of experience in the development and production of chainflex cables are stored. On this basis, the online tool calculates the expected service life of the chainflex cable. Otto Funk, Head of Design at Viastore Systems, emphasizes why this is so important: "We need to know how long the expected service life of the chainflex cables is in order to be able to reliably plan the replacement cycles. Unplanned system downtimes must not occur under any circumstances. That's why we want to be able to make statements to our customers about the durability of all components installed in our stacker cranes," says Friedbert Dannenhauer, Deputy Head of Design at Viastore Systems. igus has developed a variety of other online tools to make it easier for the system integrator to select the right products, configure them and order them. Such additional services help to save time and reduce costs. Those responsible at Viastore also appreciate this. Friedbert Dannenhauer and Otto Funk are not only satisfied with the chainflex cables from igus, but also with the service. "The advice from igus and the cooperation throughout the entire course of the project is really very good. The idea of partnership is always in the foreground," concludes Friedbert Dannenhauer.

The maintenance-free e-chains and chainflex cables from igus are mounted in the hoist on the mast of the Viastore storage and retrieval machines and supply the systems with energy and data.