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After RCYL, a bicycle made from 50 per cent recycled fishing nets, igus is setting the next milestone for sustainable mobility: the motion plastics specialist has developed the first bicycle frame made from recyclable plastic material for the German e-bike manufacturer Advanced Bikes, which is manufactured using injection moulding. Decades of expertise in plastics manufacturing and experience with the RCYL bike are channelled into the development of both the frame and new bicycle components made from high-performance plastics.
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.
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.
It’s done: after a long period of development work, the igus:bike, a bicycle made of 92 per cent plastic with a high share of recycled content, has gone into series production. The Dutch development partner MTRL is currently producing the first 100 units together with igus. At the same time, the plastics specialist is building its own production line at the Cologne site to increase production capacity to 10,000 units over the next two years. This brings the companies one step closer to their sustainability vision of transferring plastic waste to a circular economy and using it for the urban mobility of the future.
The German economy is weakening and will only recover slowly in 2024, according to the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK). The mechanical engineering industry is also feeling the effects. To strengthen competitiveness, organisations will have to focus on automation. Thanks to Low Cost Automation (LCA) and the RBTX robotics marketplace from igus, companies of all sizes can find a complete solution that suits their requirements and budget – from as little as €2,000. The plastics company is now honouring the projects with the fastest return on investment (ROI) with the ROIBOT Award for the third time. Users can now apply to win LCA products worth €5,000 in addition to international recognition.
What is an easy way for me to improve my machine? The answer is: try the new igusGO app. Plastics specialist igus® has now used AI to develop a unique product search app. Just take a photo of the application and its environment, and the igusGO intelligence will show you which products to use for, say, lubrication-free design. The app also shows where there is even more potential to improve machine technology while saving costs.
Cologne, Teesside, October 2023 – Plastic waste is not incinerated, but turned back into oil in 30 minutes – using only pressure, heat and water: this revolutionary HydroPRS™ recycling is now being launched on a commercial scale for the first time. The British company Mura Technology is now starting to commission the world’s first plant – with the support of investor igus. A significant step towards an environmentally friendly and resource-saving recycling economy for plastics.
In the past, traditional windmills drove mill grinders and irrigation pumps, but in future they are to produce green electricity. For this purpose, students at the HTWG Konstanz, a university of applied sciences, are installing high-tech components. igus is supporting the Sailwind 4 project with €10,000 and providing the young engineers with lubrication-free linear guides and polymer bearings, which will ensure that windmill operation requires little maintenance.
Calling engineers from all over the world: the igus vector award is entering its next round. For the ninth time, igus is honouring design engineers and project managers for creative, courageous use of energy supply systems and cables made of high-performance plastic. Winners will receive prize money of up to €5,000.