Corrosion-Free Motion for Yacht Lift Systems

A superyacht rarely travels alone. A tender or jet ski ferries passengers from anchorage to shore and back, and that second craft has to be lowered into the water and lifted out again. The lift systems, platforms, and garages that make this possible operate in one of the harshest environments imaginable: salt water, confined spaces, and decades of expected service life.

H+B technics GmbH & Co KG has specialized in this market for twenty years. The company designs and builds around 1,000 lift systems each year, with load capacities ranging from 350 to 2,500 kg. The durability of its engineering is proven: the first systems H+B developed two decades ago remain in service today.
 
That longevity sets a demanding standard for every component, and the energy supply is no exception. Roughly two thirds of the lift systems sit permanently underwater, so corrosion resistance is non-negotiable. Installation space around the slewing drive is tight, and the cable carrier must run lubricant-free, maintenance-free, and corrosion-free across a long service life, all while holding a narrow bend radius.

To meet these requirements, H+B engineers worked with igus specialists, testing a range of chain types and materials in the igus test laboratory. The results were clear: no exotic materials were needed. Energy chains from the E4 series, made from standard igumid®, delivered the strength and service life the application demanded, with a meaningful cost advantage. Together, the teams specified four chain lengths of type E4.28, supplied ready to install with interior separation and connectors already in place. The E4 series uses confined installation space efficiently, and the interlocking "back grip" of each link gives the assembled chain the stability it needs for years of reliable travel.

For larger yachts fitted with garages, H+B developed a different solution: an overhead crane that lifts the tender and moves it into a parking position by winch. The crane trolley travels on a drylin® W linear profile guide made of stainless steel, paired with a stainless-steel carriage and sliding elements of iglidur® high-performance polymer with solid lubricant built in. The guide is seawater-resistant, requires no lubrication, and delivers a low breakaway torque even after long periods of inactivity, an essential trait for equipment that may sit unused between voyages.

The same drylin® profile guides serve elsewhere in H+B systems as carriages for moving platforms, running smoothly even on boats weighing up to 600 kg. Today, lift systems supplied to Europe's leading yacht manufacturers frequently combine igus energy chains and linear guides, two technologies working quietly together to keep premium lift systems moving, season after season.

Learn more about igus® solutions for the marine industry