igus’s New Hybrid Cable Combines Energy and Data for SEW Motors

Cologne, Germany – igus GmbH has expanded its hybrid cable range with a new cable designed specifically for SEW motors with the MOVILINK DDI interface, to meet the growing demand from drive manufacturers who are turning to hybrid technology to save space. Users in the material handling industry, for example, can rely on a robust cable built primarily for e-chain applications.

Hybrid cables for drive technology are characterized by their ability to combine energy and data transmission into a single cable. As a result, the number of cables required is halved. The drive manufacturer relies on a coaxial element for the data transmission of motor information in the case of the new SEW motors with the MOVILINK DDI interface. The company has now developed a new hybrid cable to safely supply energy and data to compact motors while they are in motion.

Andreas Muckes, Head, Product Management, Chainflex Cables, igus GmbH, explained, “The challenge with cables with coaxial elements is that they quickly become susceptible to faults at high dynamics. That is why we have made it our task to develop a durable and flexible cable that also functions reliably in motion.” To achieve this, the motion cable specialist can draw on its more than 20 years of experience in the field of coaxial cables for highly dynamic applications.

Four energy cores have now been combined with one coaxial core and two control pairs for the new hybrid cable CF280.UL.H207.D. Users can save 40 percent of space in the energy chain by merging two cables into one. Simultaneously, the weight that the system must drive is reduced, which means that less energy is consumed. The new cable with a PUR outer jacket can be used for applications with a bending factor of up to 15xd, making it suitable for a wide range of industries, including machine tools and material handling, as well as the automotive industry.

igus already has the largest portfolio of hybrid cables for the energy chain from stock, with 28 different cable types for motors from Siemens, Beckhoff, SEW, and Bosch Rexroth. The cable specialist is following the ongoing trend of hybrid technology with the expansion of the CF280 cable series, which is also offered with a PVC outer jacket as CF220, reducing additional costs in the hybrid cable segment. Chainflex cables can be purchased either harnessed or by the metre. As with all of its cables, igus offers a 36-month warranty on the new SEW hybrid cable.

Image Source: igus GmbH