Company
Machine components made of plastic have long since become indispensable in industry. So it is natural to ask what the recycling situation will be at the end of their service life. One possible answer is provided by the motion plastics specialist igus. In the chainge recycling programme, customers can send discarded energy and energy chains to igus for recycling in exchange for a value voucher, regardless of the manufacturer. One of the companies that has tried this out is the machine manufacturer Busch Microsystems.
In 1964, they founded igus in their back yard garage in Cologne-Mülheim. In 2021, the internationally active company supplies customers all over the world with its lubrication-free and maintenance-free motion plastics. On the occasion of the founders’ 90th birthday, igus is bringing that garage back to life.
A win-win situation for employees and the environment: in the company “reguse”, founded by igus trainees themselves, disused electrical appliances are processed and offered to colleagues in their own webshop at a low cost for private use. The proceeds will be donated to sustainable projects. The programme is another example of how igus actively promotes young talent initiatives. For this, the motion plastics specialist has now been awarded as one of the best MINT employers.
Four times the excitement: for the first time, the manus award, a joint initiative by igus, a motion plastics specialist, recognises four contestants. The prize showcases fascinating, creative uses of plain bearings. The tenth gold manus award goes to Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG for its PowerBully. Silver goes to a radio-controlled, battery-driven felling wedge. Bronze goes to a sun protection facade system with a shape memory alloy. The first-ever green manus was awarded for a sustainable project. It went to an intelligent solar-powered rubbish bin from Finland.
The “Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution” of startup Mura Technology promises the conversion of plastic back to oil in just 25 minutes. In order for entry into a sustainable circular economy to succeed, globally active industrial companies such as igus are supporting the development of this technology. Dow Chemical, the world’s second largest chemical company, is now another partner on board.
More new products, product extensions and digital offerings than ever before: the 2021 “igus Motion Plastics Show” is opening digitally. Visitors can look forward to 168 innovations from all departments – from telescopic robot tube packages to dry-running ball bearings with 21 times the standard service life to large scale 3D printing.
igus increases the pace of innovation despite the pandemic: high investments in digitalisation, logistics and remote consulting increased online sales by 30 per cent in 2020 and mitigated the decline in sales by 4.8 per cent. The motion plastics specialist is also breaking new ground in terms of sustainability and product innovation, and will be presenting more innovations than ever before with 168 tribo-polymer products in spring 2021.
Use instead of waste: Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution (HydroPRS), plastic waste that would otherwise pollute the environment, can be reused as a valuable raw material through chemical recycling within 25 minutes. To advance this revolutionary technology worldwide, motion plastics specialist igus is now increasing its investment in Mura Technology to around 5 million euros. Another major industrial partner, KBR, partnered with Mura in January.
Order goods, pick them up yourself and install them directly: igus GmbH is now offering the new “motion plastics to go” service. With on-site pick-up, customers can easily and safely access their choice of more than 230,000 tribo-polymer components from stock. Due to the contactless transfer, the important hygiene and distance rules are observed.
Progressive digitalisation, a high degree of product innovation, fast delivery times worldwide and a sustainable recycling economy – just a few of the future projects that igus is driving forward this year. The company is now expanding its management board to handle this wide range of tasks. Customers and employees should know that igus can follow its own independent path in every phase and far into the future.