Reliable, smooth-running energy chains and cables for the measuring system on the extruder

• What was needed: energy chain E2 mini as a pre-assembled readychain® energy chain systems with chainflex® control and data cable
• Requirements: The measuring device and energy chain must be in use around the clock, 360 days a year. In addition, there is heat, oily and dirty air. As measurements take place in the μ range, the energy supply should also be quiet.
• Industry: Plastics machines, extruders
• Success for the customer: The readychain® chains led to triple-digit savings. Reliable chainflex® cables in the e-chain® have successfully replaced the previous cables, which quickly failed under the continuous tensile loads.

Whether packaging films for medicines or the food industry, insulation material for agriculture or construction, waste bags for household or office use, transparent folders: the range of films is huge.
And if an automated blown film line is put into operation anywhere in the world, it is highly likely that it will be equipped with width and thickness gauges from Kündig. Kündig Control Systems has been developing new solutions for measuring film for over 40 years.
The devices, which display the measurement data immediately, form the basis for ensuring the error-free production of blown film. This increases film quality and reduces waste.
Users have a wide range of versatile width and thickness measuring systems at their disposal. Additional devices visualise the measured data or prepare it for further evaluation, such as corrections to the manufacturing process.
The demands on the measuring system and energy supply are very high in blown film extrusion. The entire process cannot simply be stopped or switched off. As a rule, the devices are in operation around the clock, 360 days a year. In addition, there is heat, oily and dirty air. The energy supply is only used for thickness measurement. This capacitive system is used for measurements in the μ range.

While the specialist originally assembled each chain itself, it has been using our preassembled readychain® energy supply systems for many years. The chains are supplied directly with inserted cables, all plug connections, labelled and with defined protrusions according to customer specifications. This results in triple-digit savings for the customer.
The chain itself is the energy chain system E2 mini. The compact chain can be opened easily, all cables are inserted and not retracted. This saves time and costs. The chains are used in lengths of 5.25 m in a 90° rotated sideways version and 3.80 m in the horizontal version. The side-mounted e-chain® is embedded in an aluminium slewing ring and rotates very slowly around the film. The energy chain reaches the turning point at 180°.
A data cable and a control cable from our chainflex® cable programme for use in energy chains round off the overall solution. Despite the slow movement, the cables are stressed by the constant changes in length resulting from the s-shaped movement and the permanently changing tensile loads. The cables originally installed by another manufacturer had a permanent problem with corkscrew and failed. Since the cable for the energy chain was also purchased from us, there have been no more problems according to the manufacturer.