Components for aerial lifts, telescopic boom platforms

Aerial lifts and telescopic boom platforms offer little space for safe energy supply, so users like to use energy chains made of high-performance polymers or plastic-steel hybrid energy chains from igus to protect their over-taxed cables and hoses.

igus components designed for guidance, transfer and bearing support on aerial lifts and platforms, such as energy chains and cables as well as polymer plain bearings, linear bearings or sliding plates meet the stringent requirements for components that are subjected to continuous stress in outdoor applications.

As energy chains can do without screws, there are no loose or lost parts due to vibrations. No rusting or jamming as made from polymer. Openable at any point you like and assembled in minutes. Cables with high UV resistance, designed for continuous dynamic use in energy chains with a guarantee of up to 36 months. No greasing or regreasing of bearing points, because our plain and linear bearings as well as sliding plates are completely maintenance-free and lubrication-free.

Discover the hybrid energy chain YE as a complete set now

Retrofit of aerial lifts and platforms with the igus hybrid energy chain

Hybrid energy chains in new dimensions

e-chain YE

Modular extender crossbar system for large diameters

E4Q e-chain® with extender crossbars

See all the 2022 news? You can find the overview here.

White paper: Energy supply systems for machines with inclined axes

Free white paper:

White paper: Energy supply systems for machines with elevated axes

On construction sites, in fire brigade equipment or on a Hollywood movie set: aerial lifts and platforms with inclined axes and telescopic extensions are used worldwide. Their designers need energy supply systems that are lightweight, robust, resistant and easy to maintain. Manufacturers have therefore been investing in research and development for decades. This white paper shows how to improve technology and save costs with igus products.

Download now

Ready-to-install system solution for aerial lifts and telescopic boom platforms

Everything from a single source, tested reliability and fast installation

Fully harnessed energy supply systems from igus ensure safe guidance of cables and hydraulic hoses in telescopic arms. They consist of energy chains, chainflex cables and hoses, as well as suitable plug-in connectors or required metal attachments.

Learn more now

Energy chain systems

Reliable and easy energy supply system

Energy, data and media cables and hoses must be securely guided in aerial lifts and telescopic boom platforms. Energy chains from igus provide special cable protection not only against external influences, but also against wear, which occurs during the cyclically recurring retraction and extension of the telescopic arms with different lifting speeds.
With the service life calculator you can get up to 36 months guarantee
for nearly all igus e-chains.

YE.1 hybrid energy chain

YE.1 made of polymer and steel is 50% lighter than a chain made only of steel and easy to assemble because it is openable at any point and individual chain links can be replaced.

YE.1 hybrid energy chain

Energy chain E4.1L

E4.1L e-chains combine ease of installation, toughness and low weight in one product range. Available in many sizes and with many accessories from stock.

Energy chain E4.1L

Energy chain E2.1

E2.1 e-chains are particularly suitable for very tight installation spaces and short unsupported lengths. Easy to assemble and openable.

Energy chain E2.1

Guidance for hydraulic hoses

Safe and reliable guidance for two hydraulic hoses with igus E2 e-chains® with extender crossbars. The special solution for lorry-mounted work platforms. The E2 e-chain® with extender crossbars is very sturdy and space-saving.

Guidance for hydraulic hoses

motion plastics for aerial lifts and platforms, try it out for yourself

See the quality of our products for yourself. The aerial lifts sample box contains a selection of our products for use in telescopic extensions and inclined axes.

Order free sample box now

chainflex cables

Smallest radii and high loads

chainflex cables withstand the highest bending stresses and make the smallest bend radii up to 4xd cable diameters possible. All chainflex cables have an up to 36-month guarantee.

Control cable CF890/CF891

For flexing applications with influence of oil. For indoor and outdoor applications without direct sun radiation. Especially for unsupported travels up to 10m.

▸ Control cable CF890
▸ Control cable CF891

Control cable CF77.UL/CF78.UL

For heavy-duty applications and almost complete resistance to oil. For indoor and outdoor applications with average sun radiation. Unsupported travels up to 100m.

▸ Control cable CF77.UL
▸ Control cable CF78.UL

Bus cable CFBUS.PUR

For medium load and almost complete resistance to oil. For indoor and outdoor applications without direct sun radiation. Unsupported travel lengths up to 20m.

▸ Bus cable CFBUS.PUR

Bearing technology

Self-lubricating bearings with iglidur instead of maintenance-intensive sliding blocks

Demands on lubrication and maintenance add up to high costs. With our self-lubricating polymer plain bearings, sliding plates in telescopic work platforms can be designed to work without lubrication and maintenance. In addition, they are often more cost-effective and durable than metallic solutions.

Sliding plates

Polymer sliding plates are specially designed for dynamic applications, require no additional lubricant and are maintenance-free.

To the sliding plate product range

Maintenance and installation service

You will also obtain maintenance and installation services from igus. We install the system with a guarantee, and our smart plastics offer the possibility to equip energy chain systems and bearing points with smart, predictive maintenance.

Predictive maintenance with intelligent products

With our smart plastics, we provide special sensors (isense) and evaluation modules (icom and icom.plus) that measure the conditions of energy chain systems and bearing points, report required maintenance and also interrupt operation before major damage to a system occurs.

Find out more about smart plastics now

Installation service and after-sales service

Installation and aftersales service

We will take care of the installation. Clearly calculable assembly costs and at request a service contract for the entire energy supply system by igus.

Learn more about our services now

Typical problems and our solutions

Application example of extended pallet trucks

Problem:
Heavy components lower the payload

The payload plays an important role in many applications with inclined axes or a telescopic function as it may be limited by heavy components. In the case of this telescopic work platform the objective is, for example, to reduce the weight at the basket as far as possible.

Solution:
save up to 30% weight with this energy supply

The E4.1L e-chain is every robust and light. It not only facilitates longer telescopic applications but permits weight savings of up to 30%. At the same time, the e-chain provides more useful space than predecessor models while the installation space remains unchanged.

Find out more about E4.1L now

Problem:
Material abrasion due to movement

When guiding hydraulic lines, the high pressure exerted on the hoses means that increased abrasion of the hose material can be expected in addition to movement. Both factors not only constitute a hazard during operation, they can also lead to failure.

Solution:
Secure support that protects the hose

iguse-chains provide a secure support for cables with varying pressures and their design takes particular care with cables. Even with permanent movements, material abrasion is reduced and safety is increased.

Guiding hydraulic hoses correctly

Grove Manlift with energy chain in an extremely small space

Problem:
Guiding cables and hoses in the smallest of installation spaces

In the case of applications with a telescopic extension or lift mast, there is little space for the energy supply. This means that very tight bend radii are required that cannot be provided by all cables/hoses and energy chains. At the same time, a particularly long service life is demanded.

Solution:
Tightest bend radii and extreme durability

igus e-chains and fail-safe chainflex cables provide very tight bend radii, enabling extremely space-saving supplies. With their cores wound in bundles, chainflex cables are extremely durable even in the event of extreme bending stress.

Overview of chainflex cables

High-maintenance telescopic bearing points

Problem:
Wrong or insufficient lubrication

Telescopic bearing points require regular maintenance and lubrication. This involves constant maintenance work in order to ensure that equipment is safe and functioning properly.

Lubrication-free bearings with iglidur bar stock

Solution:
maintenance-free telescopic bearing points with iglidur

The use of technical iglidur polymers render telescopic bearing points lubrication-free and maintenance-free. You can machine the material yourself or have customised designs manufactured by igus. The service life of iglidur polymers can be calculated online.

Go to our iglidur bar stock materials

The most fascinating projects with igus products

Lifting work platforms

Inside the booms of the cherry pickers, completely harnessed energy chain systems from igus ensure safe guidance of the control cable and hydraulic hoses. These are 100 percent tested beforehand at igus.

readychains in lifting work platforms