Experience lift systems for boats and yachts up close from anywhere: H+B technics customers can now do this with the igus metaverse

Experience lift systems for boats and yachts up close from anywhere: H+B technics customers can now do this with the igus metaverse

If you are lucky enough to own a sailing boat or a yacht, you will usually also need a dinghy to take passengers from the anchorage to land and back again so they don’t get wet. This requires a lift system, a platform or a garage to lower the dinghy into the water. H+B technics from Münster focusses on precisely this market with their customised lift systems. For years, they have been relying on motion plastics from igus. Now H+B technics are also presenting their products in the virtual world – using the industrial igus metaverse.

Anchoring in a beautiful bay, going snorkelling or doing a few laps on a jet ski: This is how many boat and yacht owners imagine a successful holiday. To safely lower dinghies or jet skis into the water or store them, a reliable lift system or rear garage is required. This is exactly what H+B technics offer with their customisable systems for the boat and yacht industry. “As they wanted to present the products to customers and interested trade show visitors in an even easier and more flexible way, the company has now had some models recreated in our iguverse,” explains Marco Thull, Senior Marketing Activist at igus. “As a digital collaboration platform in virtual reality (VR), it offers completely new possibilities for product presentation and development.” With the help of VR goggles, the interested party enters a modern, maritime showroom as an avatar. In the centre, there are digital twins of ship models with products from H+B technics. One example is a Pearl 72, which features a bathing platform that can be lowered with the help of hydraulics, a rear garage and a seat integrated into the garage door. If you approach the ship as an avatar, the rear garage can be opened and closed with a simple click. The function of the side balcony on a Windy SR60 can also be demonstrated in this way. One click and the deck folds down at the sides, increasing the movement area on the ship. Users can also marvel at the linear lift system for catamarans. Here, H+B technics also relies on motion plastics from igus. The compact E4.28 and E4.21 energy chains from the proven E4 Series are installed in the hydraulic cylinders of the linear lifts. They are ideal for installation in confined spaces and also offer a high level of stability. Thanks to the high-performance plastics in use, the e-chains are not only lubrication-free and particularly durable, but also resistant to corrosion and therefore seawater.

Present products anytime and anywhere

The advantages of presenting products in the metaverse are obvious for H+B technics: “With the iguverse, we can present our products quickly and, above all, much more flexibly,” emphasises Jan Olfenbüttel, Head of Marketing at H+B technics. “For example, with many of our solutions, it’s not possible to exhibit the real thing on a trade show stand. Instead, we use trade show models. However, we can present our products much better in the iguverse and bring them to life up close.” H+B technics demonstrated the 3D models in the iguverse for the first time last November at METS Trade 2023, Europe’s leading trade show for marine equipment and technology in Amsterdam. Visitors responded very favourably to the offer. The company has therefore decided to present the iguverse at the boot trade fair in Düsseldorf from 20th to 28th January (Hall 7A, Stand E16) instead of investing in a new trade show model. “A new 3D model can be easily integrated into VR for every trade fair. This allows us to exhibit a lot more even at small trade show without a large stand area,” says Olfenbüttel. “At first, I was sceptical about the idea, but I was proven wrong. We are very satisfied with the service from igus and the collaboration was even easier and more flexible thanks to VR. Changes to the models could be implemented quickly and simply. And once you have familiarised yourself with the iguverse, it is really intuitive.” In future, the digital collaboration platform from igus will not only revolutionise product presentation, but also engineering. “We want to enable customers from all over the world to develop entire machines and systems in VR together with engineers and project managers – in an even faster, more efficient and more sustainable way than is currently possible,” concludes Thull.

Find out more about the iguverse here: https://www.igus.eu/info/iguverse