Cables and wires Chainflex cables forego PFAS and PTFE chemicals

PFAS and PTFE chemicals are harmful to the environment as "eternal chemicals". The EU is therefore working on a ban on these substances. Igus shows with the "PFAS free" seal that their in-house Chainflex cables are already free from these chemicals.

PFAS and PTFE, that sounds very chemical and abstract. In fact, these acronyms represent chemical compounds that occur in many everyday applications. Not least, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is better known under the brand name Teflon. Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) are found in coated clothing, baking paper, fire extinguishers, make-up, but also in numerous plastics.

Since PFAS are difficult to degrade in the environment, durable and harmful to health, the European Union is currently pushing for a restriction or even a ban on over 10,000 PFAS compounds. To protect themselves early against a ban, industrial companies are increasingly demanding PFAS freedom from their plastic suppliers. Igus now guarantees exactly this with the "PFAS free" seal for its chainflex cables.

95 percent of Chainflex cables are PFAS free

Already now, the Cologne-based plastics specialist refrains from using the corresponding chemicals in 95 percent of its cables, thus giving its customers planning security even in the event of an EU-wide ban. All Chainflex cables marked as "PFAS free" consist of materials such as insulation, sheathing, tapes, etc., that are free from fluorine compounds. Exclusions include possible contaminations or measurement limits that cannot be fully excluded, for example due to external influences.

Igus thus already meets international regulations, as the export of PFAS is already restricted, subject to notification or authorization in some countries. "With the 'PFAS free' seal, we offer our customers security and by refraining from harmful compounds, we continue to strongly advance Igus's commitment to sustainability," explains Rainer Rössel, head of the Chainflex cable division at Igus.

More than 1,350 cables in the range

The Chainflex cables have been specifically developed for use in moving applications and are found in many systems worldwide. In addition to secure energy guiding in the energy chain, they are used in cranes, machine tools or in robotics, among other things. The range has now grown to over 1,350 cables in a wide portfolio of cable types: Igus offers control, bus, data, motor, optical fiber and more. They are characterized by their durability and robustness - a fact that the company owes, among other things, to its in-house testing and testing laboratory. On an area of 3,800 square meters at the company headquarters in Cologne, the Igus experts carry out over two billion test cycles per year.

The expertise from the tests is also the reason why the company decided more than ten years ago to offer a 36-month guarantee for the Chainflex cables. Due to the good experiences, Igus increased the warranty period from three to four years last year. "In this way, we also increase planning and operational safety when purchasing our cables, apart from the PFAS issue," explains Rainer Rössel.