ROLLING FOR EFFICIENCY

MACHINES TRAVELLING LONG DISTANCES CAN WASTE ENERGY AND WEAR OUT FASTER, BUT A NEW ROLLER CHAIN SYSTEM IS CHANGING THAT.

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When machines need to cover hundreds of metres, every bit of friction, weight and wasted energy matters.

Treotham faced this challenge head-on for a client based in Shark Bay, Western Australia, with its partner igus installing the E4/4 rol e-chain, a system designed to make long-distance motion smoother, more efficient and durable.

“The biggest challenge first and foremost was the travel distance,” Treotham WA manager Danne Hallgren told Australian Mining. “We’re talking 214m. With cables that long, the push and pull forces are significant, and the chain itself is very heavy. Reducing friction was critical.”

The E4/4 rol e-chain solution lies in a simple yet transformative design: the chain rolls instead of slides, while traditional systems rely on gliding motion, which increases resistance and energy use.

“It’s just rolling on itself instead of colliding,” Hallgren said.

“That dramatically reduces the drive power needed, even over long distances.”

Beyond energy savings, the chain is built for harsh conditions.