Dave MacIntyre finds out if crane cable chains deliver everything they promise.

Cable carriers, also known as drag chains, energy chains (e-chains), or cable chains depending on the manufacturer, have been likened to the umbilical cords of modern machinery, reducing maintenance and increasing the service lives of cables and hoses.

They are guides which surround flexible electrical cables and hydraulic or pneumatic hoses connected to moving automated machinery. They may carry data and fibre-optic cables or electricity, gas, air and liquids, reducing wear and stress on the cables and hoses, preventing entanglement and improving operator safety.