Energy chains, cables and heavy-duty bearings for port and intermodal cranes

Why should I use an energy chain for cable guidance on the crane? With heavy cable loads, long periods of use and a wide variety of weather conditions, cable guidance in cranes must deliver top performance. The energy chain for port and intermodal cranes scores here with corrosion- and maintenance-free materials and a long service life.
Energy chains therefore prove to be particularly reliable cable guides in places where deadlines are tight but operational safety still has priority. The low-maintenance and quiet energy chains can prove their worth, especially compared to busbar systems, festoonings and motorised drums. Therefore, more than 10,000 ports already rely on the system.
On this page you will find an overview of our energy chains, cables, sensors as well as our maintenance-free and lubrication-free bearing technology for port and intermodal cranes.

 

What you will find on this page

• Products for port and intermodal cranes ▼
• Success stories: Energy chains in practice ▼
• System comparison: energy chain vs. festooning vs ... ▼
• Tested in the laboratory: Everything about our test stations ▼
• Brochures for designers ▼

P4HD - The e-chain with the longest service life

The further developed P4HD energy chain has been developed for the next generation of container cranes. The rol e-chain® is suitable for very long travels with high dynamics. Thanks to optional sensors (i.Sense and i.Cee), failures can be prevented before they happen.

P4.1 - The universal energy chain

The P4.1 is suitable for long travels of more than 1,000m and for high additional loads. Thanks to the possibility of an optional addition of sensors (i.Sense and i.Cee) for condition monitoring or predictive maintenance, the operational safety of the chain increases further.

Sensors for energy chains

• Avoid costly failures with condition monitoring and predictive maintenance on the energy chain  
• Measurement of push/pull forces, wear rates, acceleration and more

How sensors strengthen STS cranes

In this exclusive case study at the crane operator EMO B.V., the use of sensors in STS cranes at the port of Rotterdam is presented. Thanks to the implementation of the sensors, the cranes now achieve running performances of up to 375,000km.
 

Guide troughs

• Available in stainless steel or aluminium for seawater resistance to EN6060 and weight reduction
• Available as cost-effective and corrosion-free plastic trough

Clamps "chainfix CFXL"

• To relieve heavy-duty cables
• Strain relief even for hoses and cables with large diameters
• Easy to retrofit in the energy chain

Floating moving end

• To compensate for long travels
• Small, lightweight and cost-effective
• Compatible with isense EC.P
• Can be combined with various energy chains

chainflex control cables CF9 and CF10

In our range of control cables, we offer the strength that is required for long travels on cranes thanks to various numbers of cores, diameters and outer jacket materials.
Discover control cable CF9 | Discover control cable CF10

chainflex motor cables CF37/38, CF330/340

Motor cables must also always move reliably and without failure. For example, when supplying the hoist on crane systems over long travels, with high mechanical stress and outdoor temperatures of -40° to +50°.
Discover CF37 | Discover CF38 | Discover CF330 | Discover CF340

chainflex fibre optic cable CFLG.LB

Available in various mechanical versions, you will always find the right fibre optic cable for your crane application. We deliver in different OM classes and fibre diameters.
Discover fibre optic cable CFLG.LB

chainflex data cable CF11

The CF11 data cable can be used for long travels of more than 400m without any problems. Together with the UV resistance and high load limit, it is particularly suitable for outdoor applications such as on cranes.
Discover data cable CF11

Robust all-rounder material

Perfect for hard shafts

Continuous operation with very high loads

User report: lubrication-free bearings in RTG chassis

In the chassis, i.e. the "bogies", of their RTG cranes, Tan Cang Gantry rely on TX1 heavy-duty bearings from the igutex range. The TX1 bushings allow a surface pressure of up to 200MPa. This gives the engineers at Tan Cang Gantry more flexibility in the design. At the same time, the resistance on the shaft is minimised, which increases the service life.
 

i.Sense condition monitoring

i.Sense smart condition monitoring sensors are used to continuously monitor the operating condition of moving components. They can perform various functions, depending on the application. In energy chains, they are used to monitor push/pull forces (i.Sense EC.P) and to identify chain ruptures at an early stage (i.Sense EC.B).

i.Cee predictive maintenance

i.Cee sensors continuously measure the clearance between the pin and the hole in a chain link. Together with the movement data of the system, the expected remaining service life of an energy chain is determined. If necessary, a warning is then automatically issued to replace or repair the chain. The result: More safety, lower costs.

In the video, those in charge at the Port of Virginia explain why the port is using energy chains for its new STS cranes. After equipping eight STS cranes with e-chains in a project, maintenance costs were reduced to a minimum while durability increased. Or as Jeff Johnston, in charge of maintenance at the Port of Virginia, summarises:
 "[...] Reliability, easy maintenance and peace of mind."

Jeff Johnston, Crane Maintenance Manager at Port of Virginia

The Port of Virginia relies on energy chains. In the video, various project managers explain where they see the greatest advantages.

Energy chain system instead of festooning
In wind and fluctuating temperatures, cables are protected and safely guided by energy chains. Downtimes are minimised as a result.

Energy chain systems instead of motor cable drums
No slip ring on long travels. Guide all media safely in one system. Travels of up to 1,000 metres.

Energy chain systems instead of busbar systems
Deliver data, energy, fluids and air safely in a single energy chain system. For narrow compact spaces and fast lane movement. 

A look at the chainflex and e-chain test laboratory Take a look at our chainflex and e-chain test laboratory, where 10 billion cycles are tested annually.

Long travels in outdoor tests Up to 400m of travel can be achieved on our 200m long test track for energy chains.

Port Cranes

Intermodal cranes