In lithium-ion battery manufacturing, production purity is critical. Dust, particles, and moisture can compromise quality and shorten product life. Dry cleanrooms—where relative humidity is typically below one percent or just a few ppm—protect sensitive materials like electrolytes from chemical reactions. However, many machine components fail under such harsh conditions.

igus has announced that it is the first supplier to qualify halogen-free chainflex® TPE cables for IPA dry cleanroom classes 4 and 5 through the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA). This certification ensures customers in highly automated battery production receive energy supply solutions with a guaranteed service life of up to four years.

In lithium-ion battery manufacturing, production purity is critical. Dust, particles, and moisture can compromise quality and shorten product life. Dry cleanrooms—where relative humidity is typically below one percent or just a few ppm—protect sensitive materials like electrolytes from chemical reactions. However, many machine components fail under such harsh conditions.

"Many components are susceptible to wear and tear due to the dry air, so they have to be replaced within a very short time," says Kira Weller, Product Manager e-chains and cleanroom expert at igus. "To ensure that our cable routing systems meet the requirements of the dry environment, we are working together with Fraunhofer IPA to develop and certify our motion plastics for use in dry cleanrooms."

This certification now covers 238 chainflex® cables. "These are our high-end TPE cables, which are specially developed and tested for use in the energy chain. The range includes control, bus, motor, robot, servo and measuring system cables, among others," explains Rainer Rössel, Head of the chainflex® Cables division at igus. After extensive testing in igus' Cologne lab, the cables earned the two highest IPA dry cleanroom classes, 4 and 5. The certification guarantees low particle emissions under long-term stress and reliable material resistance—key for modern automation in battery production.

"The cooperation with Fraunhofer IPA gives our customers the certainty that our solutions will function reliably even under the strictest conditions," says Rössel. The halogen-free TPE sheathing ensures maximum purity and durability. igus backs all products with a four-year warranty and service life calculation.

These TPE cables are standard catalog items, available from stock in lengths starting at one meter—without cutting fees, small quantity surcharges, or packaging costs.

For more information, please visit www.igus.com