No machine can reasonably function with tons of cables splayed over and around it. Getting tangled, sustaining damage and stress, blocking operators’ access are all real and frequent issues with loose cables. And yet, using an ineffective cable carrier can often be worse.
That is the situation that Hennig found itself in when our experts took a look at the American cable carrier market. Difficult or slow assembly, minimal carrier lengths, often with complicated stays that required multiple tools to access, are all common issues. But fixing these problems is integral to improving modern machining.
After all, what is the point of a cable carrier that is more problematic than just leaving your cables around?
Hennig has been manufacturing machine protection equipment for the machine tool industry for over 70 years and was ready to take on this challenge. In order to better provide for their customers’ machines, the company decided to move into the cable carrier space. By partnering with long-term German cable carrier manufacturer EKD, Hennig discovered a way to bring their high-quality products to the North American market.
The new Hennig cable carrier series is an answer to the industry need for more user-friendly and robust cable carrier solutions. Available in plastic or steel, they efficiently protect and guide cables, hoses, hydraulic lines, and more, while actively reducing stress and preventing entanglement. With included holes, rather than a mounting bracket, cable carriers can also take advantage of cable tie engagement to reduce overall cost and weight. Hennig’s team also ensured operator safety and ease-of-access was top-of-the-line before providing them to their initial customers.
Some of the first users of the new Hennig cable carriers were at Bulltear Industries in Minnesota. Bulltear produces the Star Lab CNC, a multifunctional high-speed plasma cutting machine. According to their senior design engineer Matthew Crescenzo, it also excels at oxy-fuel, routing, tube cutting, and engraving.
Bulltear had utilized a variety of different cable carrier solutions on the Star Lab machine but continued to run into the same problems. Installing the carrier, opening stays for maintenance, and frequent wear and tear all became serious issues for Bulltear and their customers. The products’ large price tags and maintenance costs were also recurring problems. Dedicated to improving their customer experience with Star Lab, they began looking for a cable carrier manufacturer that was focused on the same goal.
When Bulltear Industries began using the new Hennig cable carrier system, they immediately found it was a strong match for their machine. Crescenzo happily notes, "The Hennig cable carrier is the easiest to integrate, easiest to use, easiest to open, easiest to reassemble, and is a long-lasting cable carrier." Its robust design is extremely rigid and wear-resistant, making the carrier ideal for machines, robotics, handling, and more applications.
Rather than the standard need for mounting brackets, Bulltear’s team also enjoyed the ability to mount on any individual link of the cable carrier. It simplifies the mounting process and will be a cost-saver for OEMs in the long term.
Bulltear now considers the Hennig cable carrier an important inclusion for its machine line. “It has redefined our assembly process and made adding tools to a Star Lab enjoyable for our customers,” says Crescenzo. “I would highly recommend Hennig’s cable carrier to anyone who wants a quality, easy-to-use cable carrier.”