Reliable energy supply system in a gear grinder in a tight installation space

plastic-energy chains have been installed in Höfer machine series for years without any problems

Achieving a vertical stroke of over one metre and a swivel range of 270° in a limited installation space was possible in this application in the grinding head of a gear grinding machine. A conventional hanging installation of an energy chain was not possible; instead, an e-chain® with a fixed point at the bottom was chosen. The e-chain®, which can be moved on both sides, is guided and constantly tensioned via a deflection pulley.

Höfler Maschinenbau GmbH (now Klingelnberg AG), a long-established company based in Ettlingen in Baden-Württemberg, specialises in the construction of gear grinding and gear milling machines. For one such gear grinding machine, a special solution for the energy supply had to be found for a customer due to the structural environmental conditions. A vertical stroke of 1320 mm and a swivelling range of the grinding head of 270° (-180° to +90°) had to be realised in a very limited installation space. An energy chain in a conventional suspended arrangement could not be accommodated in the given installation space.
In order to fulfil the requirements, the energy chain system from igus® was chosen as a fixed point at the bottom. The chain, which can be moved on both sides, is guided over a pivoting deflection pulley, which is connected to a counterweight by means of a toothed belt. This ensures that the chain is always kept taut. In the meantime, the decision has been made to install the energy chain in series due to the positive experience. The igus® energy supply has now been used here for many years without any problems.