Ideally, a customer can decide on a suitable robot quickly. But how do you create the perfect workplace for the new assistant? The Machine Planner on RBTX.com, the online marketplace for Low Cost Robotics, helps with the design of a complete automation solution, from robotics to frames to conveyor belts to grippers to safety systems. Price and delivery time are calculated in real time.
Wood and plastic? Is that a good combination? The motion plastics specialist igus has researched the idea in a recent design study and tested the friction and wear behaviour of its plastic linear bearings on a wide variety of wood, and the result is impressive. The drylin econ J4 plain bearing has demonstrated its exceptional compatibility with various kinds of wood, opening new possibilities for furniture makers and design engineers when choosing materials.
After presenting the entirely plastic igus:bike last year, igus is now presenting an additional product line made of high-performance plastics for bicycle manufacturers. Other lines include frames made from a single mould or several components, impellers, and cranksets. The handlebars are about to go into series production and will be used on the Advanced Reco bike. The handlebars are produced with compounded polymers igus developed in house and have vigirously tested in the vast igus bicycle laboratory. The products are recyclable and made partly from recycled material. Production will start in Cologne and be expanded to Asia and North America, so as to offer bike OEMs local supply chains.
Plastic products have many uses and have become indispensable for everyday life. But when they reach the end of their service life, they often end up in the incinerator. Conserving valuable resources and protecting the environment requires a sustainable plastics industry. The Cologne-based plastics specialist igus is pursuing this conservation goal with its “Chainge” recycling platform. The company has now invested in cirplus, a start-up based in Hamburg. The companies have a joint vision of closing the plastics cycle and initiating a revolution in the trade of recycled materials from technical and standard thermoplastics.
The digital transformation in industry requires new business models for more flexible, efficient production. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things are creating new opportunities to address customers with smart products and services. In the spirit of open innovation, igus, the motion plastics specialist, uses ideas from young talent to develop new solutions and has now participated in the first Hackathon by Innovation Hub Bergisches RheinLand e.V. As part of the project, TH Köln students developed concepts for use-based igus smart plastics business models.