Safe manoeuvring with pre-assembled energy supply system

Profile

What was needed: pre-assembled energy supply system
Requirements: small installation space, corrosion resistance
Product: readychain harnessed energy chain
Area of application: retractable thruster, offshore industry
Success for the customer: the pre-assembled energy supply system was installed and assembled within a short time.This not only saves the customer installation time, but also costs.

About the retractable thruster: retractable thrusters are nowadays increasingly used on tugs, ferries or offshore support vessels. Dynamic positioning on the high seas is quick and easy thanks to a retractable thruster.It typically consists of four main components: the propeller, the propeller pod, the gearbox, and the engine that drives the propeller.The drive is located inside the hull and can be extended and retracted upon the master's instruction.

Challenge

If it is necessary to carry out a precise manoeuvre, captains and owners of tugs, ferries and offshore vessels resort to the mentioned extendable drives. These are used for the dynamic positioning of the ship at sea to compensate for lateral forces that act on the ship in the form of wind and currents. In order to move the drive vertically, energy chains can be used to guide the cables and hoses safely. Flexible cables suitable for small installation space are also essential. In addition, the components have to withstand the adverse conditions under water.

Solution

For such application scenarios, igus offers a large number of different flexible cables and energy chain types that are perfectly suited for the confined space in the hull. The e-chains made of high-performance plastics are characterised by their low weight and high corrosion resistance compared to energy chains made of steel.

The reliable and, above all, safe energy supply of the drive is made possible by means of an E4.80 energy chain, which is filled with highly flexible chainflex cables and supplied as a pre-assembled readychain system. The e-chain is very tough and has an inner height of 80 mm and an inner width of 600 mm. It can be used unsupported, side-mounted, standing or hanging, and can carry fill weights of up to 80 kg/m or for a travel distance of up to 400 m, which makes it particularly attractive for heavy and wide cables.

To the readychain® overview