Handling containers around the clock under extreme conditions – this is the daily routine of STS, RMG and RTG cranes in ports around the world. However, premature wear and breakdowns of the wheel and axis units, the bogies, place an enormous burden on operators. In Rotterdam, igus will be presenting a solution at TOC Europe from 11th to 13th June 2024: wound, lubrication-free and corrosion-resistant polymer bearings from the igutex series for heavy-duty applications.
With the growing demand for electric cars, the need for high-quality lithium-ion batteries is also increasing. For this reason, they should ideally be manufactured in dry cleanrooms with minimal humidity and as little particulate matter as possible. At the same time, this environment must be automated because people are not allowed to spend long periods of time in dry cleanrooms. To ensure safe and reliable energy supply to robots, motion plastics specialist igus has developed the triflex R TRC: the first robot energy supply system with a certification for dry cleanrooms from Fraunhofer IPA for ISO Class 4-5.
The motion plastics specialist igus is now further expanding its customer service. Customer service employees can now also be reached via WhatsApp. Customers now have the option of conveniently using the igus live chat via the popular messaging platform to receive quick and uncomplicated support.
The seventh edition of the Smart Green Island Makeathon took place in Gran Canaria. The ITQ GmbH Innovation Festival invites students, universities and companies from all over the world to work together on innovative projects for application areas such as smart farming, robotics and the circular economy. The aim is to get young people excited about technology and drive digitalisation worldwide in the interest of sustainability. The Cologne-based plastics specialist and robot manufacturer igus also took part for the fourth time as one of the top sponsors. The Low Cost Automation experts supported the students on site with their expertise and robotics solutions, such as the ReBeL cobot.
Mobile robotic systems are being used in more and more work areas, from e-commerce warehouses to modern restaurants. Conventional models on the market start at around €25,000, while solutions with an integrated robot arm are priced at approx. €70,000 (prices may vary in your country). However, widespread use is often unaffordable for small and medium-sized companies due to the high prices. igus wants to change this with new low-cost robotics offerings and is presenting a series of low-cost mobile plastic robots at the Hannover Messe.
In March 2024, igus acquired the majority stake in Portuguese company Atronia Tailored Sensing. The sensor specialist has been enabling plastic products from Cologne to feel for five years now. With this strategic step, igus intends to expand their offer in the market for networked plastic components. The aim is to mass-produce Industry 4.0 products and make them accessible to small and medium-sized companies.
RCYL starts a new chapter in sustainable mobility. The former igus:bike is now called RCYL – a bicycle made from 50 per cent recycled fishing nets. For the moving components, igus relies on its lubrication-free, rust-free and recyclable high-performance plastics – “zero lubrication”. With series production in Cologne, igus is setting a milestone: the plastics company aims to produce 5,000 bicycles by next season. This, however, is just the beginning. The aim is to establish local production at landfill sites around the world and thus close the plastic cycle.
After two years of rapid growth totalling 57 per cent, igus was able to maintain its billion-euro turnover in 2023 despite the challenging global economic situation. In 2024, the company will invest in 247 new motion plastics products and digital services. More favourable and better solutions for lubrication-free movements, low-cost automation and CO2-reducing products are the focal points. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has now made it possible to bundle hundreds of thousands of test data and millions of applications from 60 years of igus experience into a simple solution finder for the “Zero Lubrication” goal: the igusGO app. 433 million euros of investment in the last three years, around half of it in Germany alone, is accelerating this technical progress and delivery from stock worldwide. This trend is set to continue in 2024.
Lubricants are as much a part of everyday industrial life as a cup of coffee every morning. And they amount to $240 billion a year across the globe. At the same time, machine downtime worth $750 billion per year is caused by inadequate lubrication. igus now combines 60 years of motion plastics expertise with hundreds of thousands of test data and millions of applications in an AI that immediately takes users to lubrication-free movements in their systems. From excavators and agricultural tractors to water turbines, everything has already been successfully tried and tested. A study by RWTH Aachen University demonstrates the explosive nature of the topic. At the Hannover Messe, the plastics specialist is presenting 247 new products, showing that everybody can achieve “zero lubrication”.
The champagne corks are popping in Portugal, more precisely at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of Lisbon. The researchers won the golden vector award 2024 for their MOONS spectrograph. Every two years, igus honours the most spectacular energy chain applications with this award – this year among 328 entries from 37 countries. The silver vector goes to the company TDK RF Solutions, which has developed a test rig for driver assistance systems, the bronze vector to MECAoctet for their movable nightclub ceiling. Bear Machines GmbH was delighted to receive the green vector for particularly sustainable energy chain applications for a machine that automatically recuts tyres.