A clean performance: igus wins the REINER! Award for modular cleanroom chain

In order for manufacturers to produce in cleanrooms, particle-free machine elements are required. Every year, the Fraunhofer Institute honours the most innovative developments with the REINER! Award. The motion plastics specialist igus is pleased with the second place award for its e-skin flat energy supply chain. The alternative to the flat belt guide is compact, modular and has cleanroom class 1. The cables can be easily inserted into the chain using the zipper principle and can be quickly replaced in the event of maintenance.

Fraunhofer IPA announces the Fraunhofer Purity Technology Prize REINER! every two years. The award has now been presented to igus for the development of the e-skin flat energy supply system as part of the Digital 365 Cleanroom Process. The motion plastics specialist took second place.

The e-skin flat is a modular cable guidance system made of high-performance polymer, which shows almost no visible wear and is abrasion-resistant. Energy supply systems can be easily extended with so-called ‘single pod’ profiles. A zipper system allows easy replacement of the cables. In combination with CFCLEAN cable cores for the transmission of energy, motor control, bus and Ethernet signals, the user receives a ready-to-connect energy supply system.

Tests by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA have shown that the system achieves Class 1 according to ISO 14644. This means that the e-skin flat meets the strictest cleanroom requirements.

The igus range of particle-free energy supply systems has been in production since 2003. Since last year, the company has also been operating a cleanroom laboratory for in-house development, which was installed at the main site in Cologne in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute. In this laboratory, igus tests its e-skin flat as well as other motion plastics such as cables and plain bearings.