Highest safety in battery production: First certified energy chain for the dry cleanroom

Lubrication-free, wear-resistant, and now also certified for the dry cleanroom: The E6.29 is the first energy chain to receive the innovative certificate from Fraunhofer IPA and achieves ISO Class 4 in testing. (Source: Fraunhofer IPA / igus GmbH)

Whenever the highest hygiene standards are required, igus scores with maintenance-free and wear-resistant plastic components for movement. Especially the battery production for the mobility of tomorrow demands special environmental conditions, which are achieved through the combination of dry and cleanroom environments. For these specific requirements, the Fraunhofer IPA has developed a new certification. The energy chain E6.29 from igus is the very first cable management system ever to be tested under dry cleanroom conditions and now certified with ISO Class 4.

Lithium-ion batteries are a key technology of our time, which has developed significantly in recent years. Not least due to the growing market for electric vehicles. Because the battery system is essential for electromobility. To ensure flawless manufacturing and long battery life, the production process must be continuously optimized. As the number of systems and automation increases, so does the need for reliable cable management. "The quality requirements are constantly rising – both from customers and testing standards. That’s why we have been working with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA since 1997, where our energy chains are tested in standardized movement sequences. This allows us to make clear statements about the purity class of our energy chains," explains Kira Weller, Product Manager e-chains at igus. "Our proven energy chain E6.29 is now the very first cable management system to receive a new IPA certificate for ISO cleanroom classification under dry room conditions."

Unique combination of dryness and particle-free environment

For the test, Fraunhofer IPA, together with the Cellforce Group, developed a mobile dry cleanroom tent. The new DryClean-CAPE, as a more flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional stationary cleanrooms, creates not only a highly pure environment but also a production environment with low humidity. The dry tent consists of two different covers. Dryness and particle-free conditions are achieved through separate air treatment units, independent of each other. This unique combination offers the optimal, flexible production environment.

E6.29 achieves optimal test results

For this reason, IPA has now also developed the new certificate for ISO cleanroom classification under dry room conditions. The E6.29 from igus not only passed this test as the first energy chain ever but also achieved the best possible result in the dry tent: ISO Class 4. This makes igus a pioneer in this field. The e-chain was tested at a dew point of -40°C, corresponding to a relative humidity of < 1% at 22°C room temperature, and in an ISO Class 3 cleanroom environment. Thus, the E6.29 is now suitable for safe use in dry room applications. The durable e-chain made from low-friction and wear-optimized high-performance plastics is available as a standard catalog item with various inner heights, widths, and radii directly from stock. Currently, a long-term test of the E6 connectors is also ongoing in a dry room at the in-house igus test laboratory. 10 million double strokes have already been achieved – and the tests are ongoing.