REINER! Award for modular cleanroom chain

The motion plastics specialist igus took 2nd place with the e-skin flat at the REINER! Award. The special feature of the chain: conductors like CFCLEAN can be easily replaced in case of maintenance. (Source: igus GmbH)

Ultra-pure manufacturing environments ensure that electronics function safely in everyday life. To enable manufacturers to produce in cleanrooms, particle-free machine components are required. The Fraunhofer Institute awards the most innovative developments every two years with the REINER! Award. The motion plastics specialist igus can now celebrate second place in the award for its energy chain e-skin flat. The alternative to flat cable management is compact, modular, and has a cleanroom class 1. The cables can optionally be easily inserted into the chain using a zip-lock principle and are quickly replaceable in case of maintenance.

Microchips, flat screens, implants, pharmaceutical active ingredients, or micro- and nanoproducts would be unthinkable without ultra-pure manufacturing environments. Especially memory ICs in home offices, expanded IT infrastructures of companies, or medical electronics are highly sought after. At the same time, manufacturers are looking for machines and systems that operate quickly and reliably to meet the growing demand for semiconductors. One of the biggest challenges is particles that detach from machine components and contaminate the ambient air. Therefore, new solutions are needed to make production processes economical even under high safety and hygiene requirements. To honor these innovations, the Fraunhofer IPA awards the Fraunhofer Cleanroom Technology Prize REINER! every two years. The award was recently presented to igus for the development of the energy chain e-skin flat during the Digital 365 Cleanroom Processes event. The motion plastics specialist took second place.

e-skin flat: modular and compact cable management system

The e-skin flat is a modular cable management system made of high-performance plastic that shows almost no visible wear and is abrasion-resistant. Energy guidance can be easily expanded using so-called "single pod" profiles. A zip-lock system allows for simple replacement of the cables. In combination with CFCLEAN cable cores for transmitting energy, motor control, bus, and Ethernet signals, users receive a ready-to-connect energy management system. Tests conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA have shown that the system achieves class 1 according to ISO 14644. Thus, the e-skin flat meets the strictest cleanroom requirements. Since 2003, igus has been manufacturing particle-free energy guides. Since last year, the company has also operated an in-house cleanroom laboratory, installed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute at the main site in Cologne. There, igus tests its e-skin flat as well as other motion plastics such as cables and sliding bearings.