Reliable energy supply with condition monitoring for dust and dirt

energy chain defy the harsh environment in aluminium oxide production and secure the energy supply
The mining and subsequent storage of bauxite, a sedimentary rock used in aluminium oxide production, generates a lot of dust, which poses a major challenge, especially for the moving machine parts of the conveyor units. This was one of the reasons why Aluminium Oxid Stade GmbH (AOS), one of the major German aluminium oxide producers, decided to use energy chains from igus®. They have already been reliably supplying conveyor units and stockpiling devices with energy, data and media for several years.

Profile

What was needed: "Heavy-duty" roller chain type 5050RHD, igus® Condition Monitoring System
Requirements: High reliability despite unfavourable environmental conditions (outdoor use, temperature fluctuations, humidity, dust) and high tensile/push forces
Industry: Aluminium oxide production
Success for the customer: high reliability thanks to sophisticated energy chain system, high safety thanks to i.Sensesystem, fast and scheduled assembly

Bucket-wheel excavator in an open-pit mine with conveyor belt and large boom.

The problem

Aluminium Oxid Stade GmbH (AOS) is one of the largest aluminium oxide producers in Germany. It processes the raw material bauxite into aluminium oxide. The various types of bauxite are stored either in halls or in large open areas and fed into production by an impressive, highly visible bucket wheel stockpiler. The raw material is transported via an encapsulated conveyor belt system to interim storage before it is sent from there for processing. When a complete overhaul of the stockpiling device was due, those responsible decided not only to modernise the device itself, but also to renew the rail track and the energy supply to the conveyor system.
The particularly difficult environment (outdoor use, temperature fluctuations, humidity, dust) and the 366 m long track required a special solution. As the motorised cable reels previously used were very maintenance-intensive and always caused problems, Fabian Wilhelm, electrical power engineering conductor at AOS, decided in 2012 in favour of the first conversion to an energy chain system from igus®.

The solution

Originally, the conveyor was supplied with energy and signals via a motorised cable reel along its 366 m long route. Now a modern energy chain system from igus® takes over this task. As the tensile/push forces are not to be underestimated due to the length of the travel path, the project engineers recommended the use of a roller e-chain® that does not slide in the guide trough, but rolls over highly stable rollers with stainless steel ball bearings. Due to the unfavourable environmental conditions, a "heavy duty" roller chain of type 5050RHD is used. External radius stops prevent the conveyed goods from getting stuck. In addition, the guide trough has been equipped with an enclosure to protect it from access and the weather.
A floating moving end suspension also ensures lateral tolerance compensation and an igus® condition monitoring system guarantees the high availability that is essential in this application. The system continuously measures the tensile and shear forces that occur. If obstacles or blockages occur during the movement of the energy chain, they are recognised by i.Sense and the system can then ensure that the conveyor system is stopped immediately. In this way, major damage such as cable breakage is avoided.

e-chain® E4/4 system

chainflex® cables

Conveyor system on an earthworks site with a long rail and material piles.

Dirty cable carrier system in a machine.

"Less maintenance, higher availability, the ability to run all the different cables and hoses in one system, the electronic tension/push force monitoring... all these advantages have fully convinced us of igus®. I would use igus® energy chain again and again!"

Dipl.-Ing. Fabian Wilhelm, Project Manager at AOS Stade

Difficult environment, reliable energy supply - energy chain systems from igus® defy dust and dirt in aluminium oxide production

Free case study

This case study discusses the question asked by almost all design engineers who have to guide hoses, power and data cables in moving applications with long travels of over 100m:

Which energy supply system is the most efficient - in terms of reliability, ease of maintenance and future security, among other things? A motorised cable reel? Or an energy chain?

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smart plastics case study cover with a magnifying glass over conveyor equipment in alumina production.

Everything from one source with turnkey assembly on site

The cable carrier transports cables through a dusty industrial facility.

igus® supplied the engineering and the e-chain system® with all its components, including the customised console substructure. The complete installation on site in Stade was carried out by the igus® installation service. Its employees installed the several hundred metre long energy supply on the existing rail sleepers of the stockpiling device. The complete installation with steel construction was carried out as planned in two sections and in a total of just twelve working days. Acceptance, handover to AOS and joint test runs took place on the agreed date, and the energy chain has been running without any problems or irregularities ever since.
"We attach great importance to making reliable deadlines and meeting them - even and especially when several trades are working in parallel on construction sites like this one", emphasises Markus Böhm, Technical Sales Consultant at igus®. "Software developed in-house and customised to our products creates the conditions for us to be able to plan precisely and offer our system installations at fixed prices. The fact that we also agree individual guarantees for these services increases the security and availability of the entire system from the customer's perspective".

Previous experience with igus® had already been positive.

Another reason for AOS to award the energy chain system, complete with installation, to igus® was further in-house references: The igus® installation service had already previously installed an e-chain system® on a 140 m travel on the loop carriage of the AOS warehouse. An electronic push/pull force monitoring system is also used here.
Finally, AOS relied on two further energy chain systems from igus®, which travel in a common trough on a 218 m reverse journey. They supply the two cranes that deliver the bauxite and transport the extracted aluminium oxide away again. Medium-voltage motor cables from the chainflex® CFCRANE series and fibre optic cables from the chainflex® CFLG series are also routed here.