e-chain system® for Composting Plants

AVG's composting plant in Cologne processes organic waste from Cologne households, green waste from gardens and forests as well as organic waste from businesses into compost in various classifications. The central process step on the way from waste to compost takes place in a huge hall that is divided into two fields. Each field is around 26 meters wide and 150 meters long.

An automatic windrow handling unit, similar to an overhead travelling crane, moves above it, distributing the source material evenly in the hall with a conveyor unit. These take over all essential functions in the composting hall fully automatically. In order to supply the crane bridges and transfer units with energy and signals, chains and guide troughs from a competitor were previously used, which after ten years of continuous operation showed severe signs of wear and even caused the system to fail. The reason: The windrow treatment devices were supplied via a normal sliding chain - the fact that such a chain shows signs of wear at this length and weight is unavoidable and does not correspond to the latest technical trade show.

Furthermore, careful material selection is an essential prerequisite for a long service life, as the atmosphere in the composting hall is very corrosive: organic acids are released during the composting process. Together with the very high humidity, this creates an environment that many materials cannot cope with: Even galvanized metal components corrode quickly here.

After a bad experience with the competitor's gliding cable carrier, the plant management started looking for a replacement. The most obvious solution was to ask the supplier to replace the chain.

At the same time; however, they also inquired with igus®. The specialists had a look around on site and quickly designed an alternative solution in line with the current state of the art. It is unavoidable that a sliding chain, given its length and dead weight, will show wear in the application and does not correspond to the latest technical trade show status.

igus® therefore suggested distributing the weight over two chains that move in reverse. An E4/4 roller energy chain type 5050R with roller guide was therefore used to supply the crane bridges and transfer units with energy and signals, together with a guide trough almost 150 meters long. This system also proves its worth in dirty and damp environments - and it was designed for long travel distances.

A flexible interior separation ensures that the cables are organized during movement. The cables within the chain are responsible for the mobile supply of media, energy and signals to the system. To take account of the aggressive environmental conditions, care has been taken to ensure that the guide trough is made of 316 stainless steel, which is corrosion-free.