Reliable cable guidance in the VELTINS Arena lawn exposure system

• What was needed: E4/4 series roller energy chain, E2 series energy chain, e-spool® energy chain, chainflex® cable
• Requirements: UV radiation, rain and temperature fluctuations required robust components. As various strokes had to be accompanied by cable guides, a particularly reliable system was also required.
• Industry: Technology for agricultural applications
• Success for the customer: The roller energy chain minimises the pulling/pushing forces over 120 m travel. Together with other compact energy chains for the short strokes in the system and the matching chainflex® cable, a long service life can be achieved and maintenance costs minimised.

RHENAC GreenTec AG has developed a turf lighting system that has been put into operation in the VELTINS Arena, home of FC Schalke 04. The R-BL 3500 lighting system can provide the football turf with contactless LED grow light for regeneration all year round. The high-tech system is equipped with various sensors that record the condition of the turf and make it available for evaluation.
The turf lighting system consists of a main steel girder with a span of more than 80 metres, which travels on rails over a distance of 120 metres. Several fold-out B-beams and continuously travelling C-beams along the main beam, which are equipped with LED light modules, can illuminate the entire lawn area. So that buses can also drive under the system, it can also be raised steplessly from the operating position at a height of 1.50 metres to 4.65 metres. For all these adjustments, a large number of motor and bus cables had to be found, as well as suitable cable routing. In addition to the sometimes long travel distances, various short strokes of 2 to 6 metres had to be realised using energy supply. The external conditions such as UV radiation, rain or temperature fluctuations required robust and durable components.

Rhenac GREENTEC AG decided to use energy chains, which can now be found on all moving elements of the lighting system. The two large plastic energy chains of the E4/4 series, which travel along the football turf with the entire main girder of the system, are the most striking. The cable guides, designed as roller energy chains, prove their worth over 120 m of travel by minimising the tensile/push forces and significantly reducing the drive force required compared to sliding chains. For various smaller strokes on the B and C beams of the system, the manufacturer relies on the more compact E2 series energy chains, which are designed for medium loads and enable the LED lights to be reliably positioned in their positions. The e-spool® energy chain is also responsible for the infeed movements, i.e. space-saving coiled cable guides that unroll to the desired length when the beams are moved and prevent the system from sagging thanks to the retaining spring.
The various energy chains were supplied directly with the appropriate cables from our product range designed for moving applications. In particular, a large number of chainflex® bus cables and chainflex® motor cables keep the system in operation and enable the continuous data transmission of the various sensors of the modern exposure system.
Together with our in-house installation service, we were able to provide a complete solution from a single source, whereby the coordinated products extend the service life of the moving modules and minimise maintenance costs.