igus cable chains are used in automated underground parking systems.
Replacing Cars with Bicycles: As cycling becomes increasingly popular, cities need more bicycle parking facilities without significantly impacting the urban landscape. Giken has developed a parking garage called Eco Cycle, which can park bicycles underground completely automatically. To ensure the reliability of the robotic garage, engineers used robust, durable, and maintenance-free igus cable chains as the cable guidance system for the lifting platform.
Roadside bicycle racks are never enough. Randomly placed bikes not only create chaos but also detract from the urban landscape. Therefore, Giken developed an underground parking garage called Eco Cycle. This is a fully automated, giant robotic system. Bike owners don't need to enter a dimly lit garage; instead, they simply place their bicycles at a collection point on the ground, similar to an elevator entrance. Another advantage of this system is that it has no impact on the urban landscape.
Robots automatically park bicycles in underground spaces
This bicycle parking system works by having owners place their bicycles on tracks at a registration point on the ground, registering them contactlessly using a card scanner. Then, the exciting part begins. A door opens, and a grab handle on the ground pulls the bicycle along the tracks into a car-sized station. The bicycle then stands on a mobile platform that can move downwards 16 meters and rotate 360 degrees. This platform is surrounded by a circular wall with 200 track-mounted bicycle racks spaced at fixed intervals. The room has a diameter of 8.5 meters. Next, the platform descends, stops at the horizontal level of free space, and turns in the correct direction. Then, a telescopic mechanism pushes the bicycle onto the racks. The entire parking process takes an average of 13 seconds.
Ensuring the reliability of automation: igus cable chains protect the cables of the lifting platform and can withstand 4.5 million work cycles.
Ample parking space, minimal impact on the cityscape, and robotic parking operations are all advantages of this type of automated system. However, it also has a potential drawback: ensuring high machine reliability. If the lifting platform malfunctions due to a control cable failure or other reasons, 200 frustrated cyclists would have to walk home. To address this, Giken used igus's E4.42 and 1400 series cable chains made of high-performance engineering plastics. These ensure that the parking system's power and data cables follow the lifting and telescopic shafts in a controlled manner for horizontal and vertical movement. "The cable chains protect the lifting platform's cables from mechanical damage and external influences, which is crucial for the reliable operation of the entire system," said Jörg Ottersbach, head of igus's cable chain business unit. These cable chains are easy to install and maintain, thus improving the system's cost-effectiveness. They are also extremely robust and durable. “Our cable chains achieve the long service life required by Giken – 4.5 million trouble-free cycles under high speed and high acceleration conditions.” The lifting platform’s lifting shaft operates at a speed of 3 m/s and an acceleration of 3 m/s², while the telescopic shaft even reaches an acceleration of 4 m/s² with a stroke of 2.6 m. “Using igus cable chains made of high-performance engineering plastics improves the operational safety and efficiency of the Eco Cycle bike garage,” said Ottersbach.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCiA9oGsa0A
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Giken has developed an automated underground bicycle parking system for cities called Eco Cycle. (Source: GIKEN)
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Cable chains ensure safe cable guidance during both horizontal and vertical operations. (Source: GIKEN)
