igus is the first cable manufacturer in the world to receive UL AWM certification from the US certification body Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Its high-end TPE cables do not require flame retardant halogens as additives. This is the first time the testing agency has acknowledged that halogen-free TPE cables also meet fire protection requirements in the industrial sector.
The independent agency Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is one of the foremost authorities on product safety in the United States. It has been testing machine and system components for industrial use since 1894. UL's certificate is one of the prerequisites for successfully entering the North American electronics market. A decisive criterion here is fire protection.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, machine hazards are the fourth most dangerous cause of hazards in U.S. industrial environments, closely followed by hazards related to electrical causes. "That's why we are particularly pleased that igus is now the first manufacturer in the world to receive UL certification for halogen-free TPE cables," said John Barker, product manager for chainflex cables at igus UK. "This certification proves to our customers that they use chainflex high-end TPE cables are safe."
Halogen-free fire protection is possible
To win this certification, igus engineers had to do some novel work.
So far, the flame resistance of cables has been a core factor in obtaining UL certification. Only products made with flame retardants such as chlorine, fluorine or bromine are approved. These additives increase flame retardancy, but they also generally change the chemical structure of the coating, reducing its mechanical strength.
Cable specialist igus set out to find a new solution that focused less on preventing the spread of danger and more on the source of fire through the cable itself. Thus, the TPE sheathing compounds formulated by igus have proven to be extremely resistant to high mechanical loads as well as external influences. This makes them very versatile, suitable for installation spaces as small as 4 times the cable diameter, for high dynamics, short distances, accelerations of 100 m/s2, or from -35°C to +100°C long-distance laying in the temperature range.
They are extremely resistant to external media and liquids, even to special bio-oils. Halogen-free TPE jackets from igus are suitable for all these energy chain applications and show up to 10 times the premature ageing rupture rate compared to the same cable jackets containing flame retardants. Thus, the root cause of the danger is reduced. Since the outer jacket does not crack and remains intact for longer, the potential for the cable to present a hazard is greatly reduced. This important feature convinced UL to certify TPE cables.
Flame retardant properties of TPE cables are no longer everything
With this development, igus is making a huge contribution to improving machine safety. The load capacity, fatigue strength and service life of the chainflex cables in the e-chain series are the subject of numerous practical tests in the igus test laboratory, not just for TPE cables. "Previously, customers had the opportunity to order 1,044 UL-certified chainflex cables," says John Barker. "With the new certification, we've added over 200 more TPE cables, so we can now offer almost complete UL certification." Europe Customers also benefit from halogen-free cables, as well as those who manufacture machines for the North American market, where UL certification of individual components is a necessary standard.