Cable and Hose Management for Woodworking

Solving the challenge of hose management

Large dust collection systems are essential when processing wood, aluminum profiles, and sandwich panels. However, as machine capabilities increased, traditional suction hoses suspended from the ceiling became a significant design limitation. Managing multiple large-diameter hoses while maintaining machine performance and flexibility was becoming increasingly difficult.

"For just two hoses, you're already pushing the limits," explains René Westphal. "That's why we began searching for a better solution."

Westphal approached the search with the same straightforward, practical mindset that defines the company's customer relationships. The ideal solution needed to come from a supplier that offered both technical expertise and responsive support.

"We were impressed by the support we received from igus® sales engineer Wolfgang Bombeck," says Westphal. "He visited us quickly, provided a well-developed proposal within hours, and continued to support us throughout the installation process whenever questions arose."

The answer was an igus® piggyback energy supply system. By mounting the large suction hoses separately above the energy chain, the design provides secure guidance for all media lines while minimizing the overall size and weight of the system. The solution safely routes 250 mm suction hoses alongside power, fiber optic, and pneumatic cables, making efficient use of available installation space.

The lightweight design delivers significant performance advantages. Because the energy supply system weighs so little, the gantry servo motors require less than 1% of their output to move it. In total, the system guides 25 separate lines, including suction hoses, fiber optic cables, power cables, and pneumatic lines, while operating at speeds of up to 197 ft/min and accelerations of 4.9 ft/s².

As machine designs continue to evolve, reliable cable and hose management becomes even more important. Westphal already builds machines with multiple gantries and up to 12 axes, with future concepts expected to include as many as 16 axes and travel lengths exceeding 130 feet. Energy supply systems like this one provide the flexibility needed to support increasingly complex machine designs while maintaining reliable operation and easy serviceability.

The rigid crossbar construction and optimized support design allow the system to handle long travel distances with minimal wear, leaving considerable performance reserves for future applications.

Adaptable for future designs

The flexibility and upgradeability built into Westphal's machines rely heavily on the performance of the igus® energy supply system.

"These systems are essential for guiding hoses and cables reliably across multiple axes and gantries," says René Westphal. "Customers increasingly want plug-and-play machines with centralized routing for power, data, compressed air, and dust extraction systems."

As machine designs continue to grow in size and complexity, the demands on cable and hose management are increasing as well. Westphal already operates machines with three independent gantries and 12 axes, and future designs are expected to include up to 16 axes with travel distances of more than 130 feet.

Managing the power, data, pneumatic, and extraction lines required for systems of this scale would be extremely difficult without high-performance energy supply systems. By combining Westphal's machine expertise with igus® energy chain technology, the companies have created a solution that supports both current applications and future machine innovations.