With great gratitude and sadness, igus says goodbye to its founders Margret and Günter Blase. Margret Blase passed away on 11th August 2026, Günter Blase on 21st October 2026, both at the age of 95. The couple founded igus GmbH together in a double garage in Cologne-Mülheim in 1964, laying the foundation for what is now a successful global company.
Cables in theatre and stage technology have to work hard. Stage spaces are often narrow and complex, and cables have to withstand tight bend radii and frequent movements over long periods of time. A technical failure can quickly lead to a premature end of the evening. To ensure that the cables are both fail-safe and unobtrusive, igus has now developed a new and unobtrusive series of its highly flexible chainflex cables. igus will present the new industry solution and other new products at the SPS in Nuremberg (Hall 4, Stand 310).
PFAS and PTFE (a subgroup of PFAS) have been present in many products worldwide for decades – whether pans, shoes or hoses. It is due to them that plain bearings, e.g., can operate in dry operation without lubrication. However, the organic fluorine compounds decompose very slowly and can be harmful to people and nature. The discussion about a possible ban is causing uncertainty in the industry. As a pioneer for lubrication-free high-performance plastics for motion, igus recognised this challenge at an early stage and has already developed its own PTFE-free materials. At the K plastics trade show in Düsseldorf from 8th to 15th October, the company will show that this change is not only possible, but can also be linked to technical improvements. October (Hall 5, Stand D05).
