According to the results of a study by IHS Markit, Profinet is the industrial Ethernet communication system. In terms of newly installed nodes, Profinet achieved a market share of almost 30% in 2018. The technology was developed by the Profibus Nutzerorganisation e.V. (PNO for short). "Due to the increasing importance of Profinet in moving industrial applications, we as a line specialist have now joined the Profibus User Organization. We want to continue to drive forward the development of the technology here," says Andreas Muckes, Head of Chainflex Cable Product Management. "This way, customers can be sure that our cable solutions always meet the latest electrical requirements."

Profinet brings clear advantages for industry: a large amount of data can be transmitted at up to 100 Mbit/s based on the Ethernet protocol. However, this also means that machines, and therefore also the cables, have to move more and more dynamically in a compact installation space: a challenge for standard cables. igus has therefore been developing cables that are especially suitable for use in energy chains and on robots for over 25 years. For Profinet alone, Igus offers nine cable types for different application scenarios.

The Chainflex Profinet cables are available in four sheath materials, four bending radii and two torsion angles. Igus offers solutions for small installation spaces, high speeds as well as for three-dimensional movements with up to plus/minus 360 degrees/m on the robot or in free movements. The cables have a range of approvals such as UL, NFPA, EAC and CTP and are available directly from stock in the desired length.

All cables undergo extensive test series in the in-house test laboratory. There, for example, the CFBUS.LB.060 Profinet cable completed over 65 million strokes with a bending radius of 63 millimetres. Due to the numerous laboratory results, the Chainflex cables have a unique 36-month functional guarantee. On request, they are also available directly assembled as readycables, for example with an M12 round plug from Telegärtner.