Maintenance-Free Parts for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms

All-plastic e-chains are lightweight and corrosion-free, and they’re a strong fit for many compact booms and scissor lifts. A hybrid e-chain such as the YE combines steel and high-performance plastic. It’s designed for larger telescopic booms, where long travels, heavy cable and hose fill weights, and higher mechanical stress push an all-plastic chain to its limits. If you’re unsure which fits your machine, igus engineers can compare both options against your boom’s travel, fill weight, and installation space.

An e-chain only needs to be about half as long as the travel distance, plus the length of its bend. That’s because the moving end travels the full stroke while the chain folds back on itself. In multi-section telescopic booms, each stage can get its own e-chain, or the chains can be arranged so they work together across stages. The right layout depends on the number of boom sections, the space inside the boom, and how fast each section extends.

Hydraulic hoses behave differently from cables. Under pressure, they can change length and diameter, so they need more free space inside the chain. Separate hoses from cables with interior separators so they don’t rub against each other, and secure both with strain relief at the chain ends. Opening styles like the E4Q make it easy to add or replace hoses during service without removing the chain.

On a job site, grease picks up dust and grit, and the mix turns into an abrasive paste that wears down pins and bushings. When a greasing interval is missed, metal-on-metal wear and corrosion speed up quickly. Self-lubricating iglide® bearings remove that dependency. For rental fleets especially, that means less maintenance between rentals, and machines go back out the door faster.

Yes, when the right material is selected. iglide® materials are engineered for different load, speed, and environmental conditions. Some, like iglide® Q2, are developed specifically for high loads and dirty environments. The igus online service life calculator lets you enter your load, motion, and operating conditions to compare materials and predict bearing life before you test.

They are. Electric slab scissor lifts often work on finished floors in warehouses, retail stores, and commercial buildings. Greased pivot points can drip or collect debris that ends up on the floor. Dry-running iglide® bearings keep pivot points clean, which matters wherever floor marks and contamination are a concern.

Yes. igus smart plastics products use i.Sense sensors that monitor the condition of e-chains and other components while the machine is running. They can alert maintenance teams before wear leads to a failure, so service can be planned around the machine’s schedule instead of reacting to unplanned downtime.

Yes. igus engineers can work from your boom’s dimensions, travel, and cable and hose requirements to design a readychain® system for your machine. This applies whether you’re developing a new MEWP or redesigning an existing model. The system can arrive pre-harnessed and tested, and engineering support is available from the first layout through production.