With the online service life calculator, users can now determine the guaranteed operating time of their e-chain and obtain a certificate

igus now offers a 36-month guarantee on its energy chains, which are in demand for a wide range of job applications.

The robust, lightweight, and long-lasting energy chains are made from high performance polymers from igus, the Germany-based motion plastics supplier. The high-tech, cost-down, environmentally-friendly company runs its North American operations out of Providence, R.I.

Certificates are very easy to obtain. Customers open the online service life calculator for e-chains and enter the dynamic specifications and environmental conditions of the application. The online tool will then calculate the guaranteed service life of the energy chain. With a simple click, the customer receives the certificate via email.

To determine the service life of its products, igus tests them under the most adverse conditions all the way up to a total failure in its 3,800-square-meter laboratory. The result: 10 billion e-chain cycles per year.

Based on this test data, the company has been able to grant a 36-month guarantee on its chainflex cable range since 2015. In its efforts to always keep its energy chain users on the safe side, igus now becomes the only provider worldwide to offer a 36-month service life guarantee on its e-chains.

Service life calculator

The service life calculator helps igus to live up to this promise. Using data from the test laboratory, it determines the operating time of the igus standard energy chains in customized applications. Over 4,000 tests and more than 7,500 results flow into the online tool. More tests are performed every day in the quest to deliver precise statements about the service life. According to igus, the service life of energy chains is often 10 years or more.

"The new guarantee service ensures users they will be able to design their individual application exactly, and always choose the most cost-effective e-chain that works with reliability," explains Michael Blass, head of the e-chain systems division at igus. "If an energy chain fails due to wear and tear within the guarantee period, the customer will receive a free replacement."

Service life guarantee at the push of a button

The customer can obtain the guarantee certificate in just two steps. To do this, they must first call up the service life calculator at https://www.igus.com/info/e-chain-guarantee and specify the application parameters such as speed, acceleration, additional load and travel distance. It is also possible to enter external influences such as dirt, impact and the ambient temperature.

The online tool will then determine the operating time of the energy chain in double strokes. The customers can have their certificate sent to them by e-mail using a button. "Either the calculated double strokes or 36 months are guaranteed, whichever comes first," says Blass.

The special feature of the chain guarantee is that the customer gets the guarantee certificate while using the service life calculator, even before the purchase.