All in perfect order: e-spool flex mini safely guides cables and saves space

The e-spool flex mini is the miniature version of a cable reel without a slip ring and can be used in a variety of environments, for example in the office. (Source: igus GmbH)

It is 169 millimeters high, 163 millimeters long, 78 millimeters deep, and weighs only 200 grams. This makes the e-spool flex mini from igus one of the smallest and lightest cable and hose reels in the world. It provides uninterrupted power, data, and media transmission in a variety of environments – in factories or office settings as well as in laboratories or dental practices.

Patients in dental chairs are familiar with the sight: drills and suction devices stored next to the chair in a holder. Their cables are unmanaged, hanging loosely. And not only there, but also in offices or factories where many wired devices are used, there is often a real tangle of cables. “That’s why we developed the e-spool flex mini, a cable and hose reel without slip rings, which is only 169 millimeters high, 163 millimeters long, and 78 millimeters deep, and weighs just 200 grams,” says Jörg Ottersbach, Head of the e-chains Business Unit at igus. “The guide is thus extremely compact and easy to integrate into the respective environment.”

Suitable for a variety of cables and hoses

The construction feature of the e-spool flex mini is a helical guide into which the user inserts a section of the cable or hose. The guide can then be easily inserted into the winding housing with a few hand movements, and the remaining cable length is wound onto the reel – the cable plug protrudes from the side of the housing. “Thanks to this combination, the cable can be unwound and wound up without the plug rotating,” explains Ottersbach. “Since no bridging is necessary anymore, the user can utilize the e-spool flex mini for a variety of cables and hoses for uninterrupted transmission of power, media, and data.” The system is also suitable for use in coworking spaces: it can lead HDMI and internet cables for laptops at workstations with changing users. In laboratories, cables and hoses can be easily stored under the ceiling. And at home, in the hobby cellar or as a charging station for your own e-bike, the energy management system keeps things organized.

e-spool flex mini intuitively operable

“We deliberately designed the cable reel to offer maximum flexibility and to be easy and reliable to operate in everyday use – even during more extensive actions like replacing cables and hoses,” states Ottersbach. The user opens the housing of the reel, inserts a cable or hose with a diameter between five and seven millimeters, closes the housing again, and screws it in place. Now, in everyday use, they can pull out the cable up to three meters. Every 15 millimeters, a locking mechanism engages, relieving the cable from tension and maintaining the length constantly. A spring mechanism then rewinds the cable – similar to a vacuum cleaner.