Vector award winners

igus UK has presented its vector awards to two British engineering companies - UK Astronomy Technology Centre and Xograph Healthcare - for the challenging and innovative use of cable carrier systems.

UKATC uses an igus E4 heavy duty e-chain to route cables and hoses during the rotary movement of its KMOS instrument. KMOS is a nearinfrared multi-object integral-field spectrometer used by one of the European Southern Observatories Very Large Telescopes. igus' energy chain carries the heavy and delicate network of cooling gas pipes and power and signalling cables needed.

The telescope can be moved through 270° from its initial position in both directions, so the energy chain also had to be able to carry pipes and cables safely through 540°.

Xograph Healthcare uses igus' special low friction 'rol e-chain' in an innovative X-ray system for hospital emergency rooms, which allows many bays to be accessed rapidly in mass emergency cases. The energy chain carries cables used in the ceilingmounted BuckyStar Resus X-ray. It features low friction so apparatus can be moved rapidly to each bedside.