The German company, Kabelschlepp has developed a new cable management chain called EasyTrax 0320, which combines a very sturdy design, suitable for long unsupported spans, with a flexible bracket arrangement that makes cable insertion both quick and easy. Cables are simply pressed into place with the aid of a flexible lamella crossbar that considerably reduces the time needed for assembly and wire replacement. This combination of hard links and soft brackets means that the user gains both sturdiness and flexibility from a single chain product.
The main cable carrier chain is manufactured from glass fibre reinforced plastic, a relatively inexpensive material that is lightweight and strong. Kabelschlepp claims that EasyTrax can be used for unsupported spans that are almost twice as long as those possible with cable carriers made from non-reinforced materials. The strong chain links are lined up and pressed together to provide the specific length required for each application. The lamella crossbar system is particularly ingenious; when the cables are pressed in, the flexible brackets swivel forwards instead of downwards, leaving all the space inside the chain free, as Kabelschlepp’s Ingelore Roth-Stahl explains:
“If the flaps move downwards when pressed, they take up cable room and hence reduce the carrying capacity. The brackets can be blocked by cables that have already been fitted. Furthermore, brackets that swivel forwards instead of downwards also make it possible to fit separator systems between cables. Flaps moving downwards would hit the separator system and not leave sufficient room for fitting the cables. The special wraparound fittings hold the separators firmly on the chain links and ensure safe cable insertion.”
The stops are locked in place to resist bending or stretching when first subjected to any stresses. This prevents snapping in these sectors and provides considerable lateral stability for the cable carriers. There are several variations of the cable chain to suit most application requirements. In the type 30 model, for example, the lamellar brackets open on the outside radius, whereas in the type 40 model, they open on the inside radius. EasyTrax also features end connectors with integrated strain relief systems, to which the cables can be quickly and securely fixed. Various connection methods are provided simply by reversing the connectors. While the small link sizes of this system ensure quiet operation, integral ‘silencers’ are also provided to reduce the noise output of these chains even further.
EasyTrax 0320 has an outside height of 25.6mm and an internal height of 18mm. Internal widths of 25 and 38mm are available, with other widths to follow. The standard bending radii are 28, 38, 48, 75 or 100mm, while a 125 mm radius is available as an option.