Cable chains
A cable chain — also called an energy chain, drag chain or cable carrier — guides cables and hoses along a moving axis and keeps them within their permitted bend radius. We are the exclusive Tsubaki Kabelschlepp dealer in the Netherlands and ship plastic and steel chain from our own warehouse in Ruurlo.
Plastic chain is light, quiet and maintenance-free and covers most of machine building: gantries, linear axes, handling and packaging machines. Steel chain is the choice for high temperatures, hot chips, long unsupported lengths and heavy fills — machine tools, steel production and crane runways. In practice the environment decides: heat, chips and sparks point to steel or a closed plastic version.
Add up the outer diameters of every cable and hose and allow 10% clearance: that is the minimum inner width. The thickest cable sets the inner height. The bend radius is at least ten times the diameter of the thickest cable, and twelve to fifteen times for shielded or heavy power cables. Stay below 60% fill so nothing gets pinched and wear stays low.
Every item lists dimensions, weight, bend radius and STEP files for your CAD model, so the chain drops straight into your design. Stock items ship the same working day when ordered before 15:00; for non-stock items we state a concrete lead time. For project quantities and custom builds we send a tailored quote within three working hours.
Cable chain, cable chains, drag chain, energy chain, cable carrier and cable track all describe the same component. German documentation calls it Energiekette or Schleppkette, Dutch kabelrups, French chaîne porte-câbles. Searching on another brand's part number? We will find the equivalent for you.
