Gantry & Large Machine Tools

Long-travel motion solutions for portal and large-format machining systems

Gantry, portal and other large-format machine tools move machining heads and supporting systems across workpieces that can require many meters of travel. As machine size increases, so do the demands on moving power, data, hydraulic, pneumatic and other media. Long travel, heavy cable packages, chips, coolant and limited service access can all make reliable cable management a critical part of the machine design.

igus® supports these applications with long-travel cable and hose management, continuous-flex cables and pre-assembled energy supply systems designed around demanding machine motion. From supported e-chain® systems in chip-heavy areas to complete readychain® assemblies, solutions can be selected around travel distance, cable and hose weight, speed, acceleration, contamination and installation requirements. Current igus applications include gantry machining centers with 13 m of X-axis travel and traveling-column milling machines with travel reaching 50 m.

Key Benefits

Guide cables and hoses reliably across long machine travel
Support heavy power, data, hydraulic and pneumatic packages
Protect moving energy supply from chips, coolant and contamination
Reduce machine assembly time with pre-assembled cable systems

Components for CNC Cutting Machines

guidelok Horizontal

Grease-free guidance for doors, slides and auxiliary positioning
Dry-running liners help resist dirt and abrasive contamination
Configurable rail and carriage options for compact layouts

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readychain® Systems

Pre-assembled e-chain®, cables, hoses and connectors
Reduces final machine routing and installation work
One complete system improves repeatability and purchasing

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chainflex® Continuous-Flex Cables

Power, servo, feedback, data and specialty cable options
Engineered for continuous movement inside e-chain® systems
Service life can be calculated from application parameters

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Vibration Behavior of e-chain® Systems in Machine Tools

High-speed machine motion places additional demands on cable guidance. This white paper examines how different cable carrier systems influence vibration and compares their behavior under controlled machine-tool testing. See how energy supply design can affect dynamic performance in demanding machining applications.

Download the White Paper

Configure Your e-chain® Cable Carrier System

Long-travel energy supply depends on more than choosing a cable carrier. Enter application parameters to compare suitable e-chain® systems, configure components and estimate expected service life before installation. This helps account for travel, dynamics and operating conditions early in the machine design process.

Configure Your System

igus® Solutions in Machining Center

Fast Installation for CNC Portal Machines

Hartford uses readychain® complete energy supply systems on its large AERO CNC portal machining centers for aerospace components. The assemblies combine e-chain® cable carriers, chainflex® cables and connectors into ready-to-install systems for the machine's long and dynamic axes. All four e-chain® systems can now be installed in less than half a day. Previously, two employees spent about one and a half weeks on the X-axis energy supply and another week on the Y and Z axes.

Long-Travel Cable Guidance for Gantry Machining Centers

Kao Ming uses a guidelok system with E4.80 e-chain® cable carriers and chainflex® cables on its KMC-G gantry machining center. With X-axis travel reaching 13 m and a large number of moving cables and hoses, the machine requires reliable energy and signal guidance over significant distances. guidelok supports the upper carrier run while keeping the upper and lower runs separated, helping prevent chips from collecting between sliding surfaces and reducing maintenance requirements.

Ready-to-Install Energy Supply for Long-Bed Machines

The SAMAG SFZ long-bed machine tool uses an E4Q e-chain® system fully equipped with continuous-flex cables and plug-in connectors as a readychain® Premium assembly. The traveling-column machine offers X-axis travel from 2.5 to 7.5 m, machining speeds up to 40 m/min and acceleration up to 5 m/s² while operating around chips and cooling lubricants. By engineering the complete energy supply before installation, SAMAG reduced its usual assembly time by approximately two-thirds.

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igus® inc.+1 800 521 2747 Contact an Expert

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