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Classification of chainflex® cables

To make the choice easier for you, we have classified all chainflex® types according to the criteria "basic requirements, travel length, oil resistance and torsion". The higher the number, the better the cable.

Example: You are looking for a cable which is suitable for the highest mechanical capability. In an unsupported and gliding application, the travel should be up to 100 m. In addition, the cable is also designed to meet the oil-resistance requirements according to DIN EN 50363-10-2. The cable is not especially designed for torsion applications.

You choose from the classification overview:

Basic requirements: 6 Travel length: 5 Oil resistance: 3 Torsion: 1
This results in the cable's class – here “Class 6.5.3.1”, which you can find on each product's page.

Load	Travel	Oil resistance	Torsion
from 1 to 7	1 to 6	1 to 4	1 to 4

Load	❶	low	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	highest
Travel	❷	unsupported	1	2	3	4	5	6	400m +
Oil resistance	❸	None	1	2	3	4	highest
Torsion	❹	None	1	2	3	4	±360°/m

The chainflex® class is composed of 4 parts:

Basic requirements

Stressing capacity (R and V)
1 to 7

1: Flexible cables
2: Highly flexible cables
3: Chain-suitable cables without special design (e.g. cores wound in layers) for application in e-chains®.
4: Cables with special structure for continuous movement in e-chains®, medium load, radii from 7.5 x d, speed up to 3 m/s
5: Cables for continuous movement in e-chains®, high load, radii from 6.8 x d, speed up to 10 m/s
6: Cables for continuous movement in e-chains®, highest load, radii from 5 x d, speed up to 10 m/s
7: Cables for continuous movement in e-chains®, highest load for the smallest radii, indoor and outdoor applications, radii from 4 x d, speeds up to 10 m/s and more

Travel length

Travel
1 to 6

1: Unsupported
2: Travel up to 10 m
3: Travel up to 20 m
4: Travel up to 50 m
5: Travel up to 100 m
6: Travel up to 400 m and more

1: No oil resistance<br> 2: Oil-resistant (based on DIN EN 50363-4-1)<br> 3: Oil-resistant (based on DIN EN 50363-10-2)<br> 4: Oil-resistant (based on DIN EN 60811-2-1, organic oil-resistant (based on VDMA 24568 with Plantocut 8 S-MB tested by DEA

Oil resistance
1 up to 4

1: No oil resistance
2: Oil-resistant (based on DIN EN 50363-4-1)
3: Oil-resistant (based on DIN EN 50363-10-2)
4: Oil-resistant (based on DIN EN 60811-2-1, organic oil-resistant (based on VDMA 24568 with Plantocut 8 S-MB tested by DEA)

Torsion

Torsion
1 to 4

1: no torsion
2: ±90°, with 1m cable length
3: ±180°, with 1m cable length
4: ±360°, with 1m cable length

In theory, the following classes would be possible: lowest "Class 1.1.1.1", highest "Class 7.6.4.4"

What does the chainflex® "class"(ification) mean?

igus® has been supplying cables for permanent movement in e-chains® for more than 25 years now – chainflex® cables, which are quite simply good for one thing:
Reliable function.
To achieve this, all chainflex® cables in all e-chain® applications have to cope with demanding requirements, e.g. very small bend radii, high cycle rates, compact installation spaces, a wide range of chemical influences and dynamic parameters.
igus® carries out basic cable qualification tests according to igus® standards at its own technical centre and in the testing laboratory. These chainflex® qualification standards include series of tests which then lead to assignment to the respective igus® "class".

1. chainflex® standard qualification - "Materials"

Materials that are to go into series production for chainflex® cables must pass a number of continuous tests in e-chains® in addition to the usual cable-specific standard tests (such as continuous flexing cycle tests, ageing, abrasion, media resistance, or possibly flame retardancy). These test series, which can last up to three years, are always based on movement tests in and with e-chains®/e-chain® materials and include:

Continuous bending tests in e-chains® at room temperature and sliding and unsupported travels.
Continuous bending tests in e-chains® at low temperatures and a travel of 8m (down to -40°C, depending on the material)
Continuous bending tests in e-chains® in various liquid media with a travel of approx. 0.5m.
Abrasion tests Abrasion tests in combination with chain materials.

3. chainflex® standard qualification

These test programs are based in standard specifications from the certification agencies and are performed in accordance with these specifications.

Test laboratory

igus® has now comprehensively expanded its test lab for energy chains and cables to 1,030 sqm. New standard products and customer specific energy chains are constantly being tested on more than 70 test rigs.

chainflex® test lab

2. chainflex® standard qualification - "Design"

These test series, which can last one to three years depending on the defined goal (e.g. double strokes), are always based on movement tests in and with e-chains® and include:

Continuous bending tests in e-chains® at room temperature and sliding and unsupported travels. The radii are much smaller than defined later in the catalogue.
Continuous bending tests in e-chains® with varying temperature curves between -40°C and +60°C - depending on construction and material - with sliding travels and smaller radii than defined later in the catalogue.
Continuous torsion tests in triflex® e-chains® with ±180°/m for torsion cables on a torsion test rig with 1m triflex® e-chain®.
Continuous torsion tests in triflex® e-chains® with movement programmes on robots with six axes.

4. chainflex® standard qualification - "Production Optimization"

After a multi-year qualification of the design and the materials, the production processes are qualified and defined down to the machine level, in order to keep the manufacturing tolerance as low as possible. Cables are of course systematically and continuously sampled from running production and subjected to a lot test. Lot testing at igus® means:

Recording and reviewing the production parameters in relation to the chainflex® cable.

Performance of endurance bending tests in e-chain® testing rigs with short, fast travels.

As a means of simplifying the selection from nearly 1,000 movable e-chain® cables, igus® has introduced the new ‘Class’ selection and cable qualification system on the basis of these series of tests.
Based on this ‘Class’(ification), it is possible to quickly and easily select a cable for specific applications. The ‘Class’ describes the expected stressing, the travel and the required oil/media resistance.

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