From microdrives to microscopes to precision engineering, engineers around the world are building increasingly compact products. igus now produces microgears for them with modules as small as 0.2. Tooth dimensions are very close to those of a human hair. Thanks to high-performance plastics, the teeth still allow precise, low-wear movement for high-quality products.
The robot kitchen from Cook-e, a French company, prepares fresh, healthy dishes without human help and is intended to relieve restaurateurs of the pressure associated with the skilled worker shortage. To allow the robot to operate even in restaurants with little space, the developers use compact, hygienic igus toothed belt axes.
igus has added an ESD variant specifically for highly sensitive cleanrooms to its e-skin flat series. The modular ribbon cable’s new material prevents the chain from becoming electrostatically charged while ensuring that it generates no particles, even during very fast movements. The modular design with individual pods also allows quick energy supply system filling.
Time is sometimes of the essence. An example is when a machine is due for maintenance, but the required component is not in stock. The igus online CNC Service 2.0 allows orders for machined parts made of tribologically optimised high-performance plastics (optimised for friction and wear) to be processed in just a few minutes.
In addition to the shortage of skilled workers, high energy costs combined with increasing cost pressure and declining incoming orders remain the biggest challenges for the machine tool industry. To survive in this environment, companies must produce even better and more cost-effectively. So igus will be presenting cutting-edge technologies at EMO 2023. These are technologies that take the pressure off companies: low-cost robots that are as easy to operate as a computer game, an online service for rapid production of CNC components made of high-performance plastics, a 3D-printed assembly frame, and a low-cost energy chain for unsupported applications.