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Published on: 24th April 2023 | Engineers from igus are now using a simple technology for heat recovery. It heats industrial factories with the waste coolant water from machines, saving on gas costs and CO2 emissions. igus is making the technology available online, with all the details available to other industrial companies. If all injection moulders worldwide were to use the technology, over 14 million tons of CO2 and over seven billion cubic metres of gas could be saved.
Published on: 24th April 2023 | Cleaning with chemicals is a daily occurrence for machines in the food processing industry. Even the smallest blind spot can collect moisture and can lead to contamination within the machine. More and more operators are therefore designing parts with an emphasis on Hygienic Design. igus is a member of the EHEDG and has developed the first linear guide system, based on the Hygienic Design guidelines. Using FDA-compliant materials such as the high-performance polymer iglidur A160, high-alloy stainless steel and a washable interior of the carriage ensures the hygienic design is adhered to.
Published on: 24th April 2023 | In applications with loads of more than 80Mpa, plain bearings made of thermoplastic materials can be pushing their limits. igus has expanded the existing range of standard plain bearings with the new igutex fibre wound plain bearing series. The series displays its strength in heavy-duty areas such as construction machinery or hoists. The latest development in the product family is the material igutex TX3. It offers an even higher running performance with high dynamic forces than previous igutex bearings.
Published on: 24th April 2023 | Beaming faces at J&M Manufacturing: the US company won the golden manus award 2023 at the Hannover Messe 2023. The competition honours creative projects with plastic plain bearings. This year’s winner was able to impress with the sustainable and economical use of lubrication-free polymer bearings in a new type of agricultural implement. The other award winners were also in the mood to celebrate: the French company Aufratech won the silver manus award with an exoskeleton. Fiedler Maschinenbau came in third with a telescopic high-pressure cleaner for municipal vehicles. The German company Rockinger Agriculture GmbH is delighted with the green manus award for its lubrication-free ball coupling.
Published on: 24th April 2023 | Whenever the highest hygiene standards are required, igus scores high with lubrication-free and abrasion-resistant plastic components for movement. In particular, battery production for tomorrow’s mobility requires special environmental conditions, which are achieved through the combination of dry rooms and cleanrooms. The Fraunhofer IPA has developed a new type of certificate for precisely these requirements. The E6.29 energy chain from igus is the very first cable guide system that has been tested under dry cleanroom conditions and has now been certified with ISO Class 4.
Published on 24th April 2023 | A low-cost robot operated via a VR headset. Spare parts identified and ordered in seconds using AI on a smartphone. A mobile app that immediately identifies potential applications for lubrication-free parts on an excavator. igus launches a selection of digital tools in 2023, as well as products and services which are easy to use and reduce cost. The goal: provide easy access to the right motion plastics product and have fun on the way, while being carbon-neutral and without plastic waste.
Published on 17th April 2023 | The latest technologies revolutionize engineering and sales: Customers can enter virtual application worlds and coordinate the safe power supply of an oil rig in networked teams, program a robot with voice control or experience the revolutionary product search with AI: Under the motto "enjoyneering", igus will is showcasing the latest technologies this year that playfully focus on topics such as sustainability, automation and stable supply chains - all of which can be experienced live and virtually. Learn more about these digital revolutions and the 190 motion plastics product innovations.
Published on 14th April 2023 | No time to visit the Hannover Messe 2023? No problem. The motion plastics specialist is offering the so-called Remote Scout Service for the first time this year. The igus experts equipped with data glasses show visitors live the new products that are of interest to them in individual online tours.
Published on 6th April 2023 | Energy and data cables hanging from jib cranes often pose a great risk. Careless movement of loads, forklifts or other slewing crane systems in the immediate vicinity can cause them to become entangled and torn off. igus has therefore developed the guidelok swing, the only energy supply system of its kind in the world. It can be installed directly in the T-beam contour, and a special rocker system allows it to be used for long beam lengths cost-effectively with little wear. This significantly increases operational safety.
Published on 4th April 2023 | In the food industry, machine components have to meet very high hygiene requirements so as not to pose a safety risk. Since 2019, the motion plastics specialist igus has been offering igubal Food Contact (FC), a special spherical bearing system made from high-performance polymers that comply with FDA and EU 10/2011 for direct contact with food. The company is now expanding this product range with a new double joint. Interested parties who would like to see the advantages and quality of the igubal FC series for themselves in advance can now order a new free sample box.
Published on 4th April 2023 | Designing, constructing and programming: that’s what the Smart Green Island Makeathon on Gran Canaria was all about. It was recently held for the sixth time, organised by ITQ GmbH. The prototyping event brings students, universities and companies from all over the world together to develop the innovative, sustainable technologies of tomorrow. The focus is on such topics as robotics and automation, smart and green energy and smart mobility. One of the event’s top sponsors is igus GmbH from Cologne, which supported the young talented people on site with expertise and low-cost robotics.
Published on 16th March 2023 | Drilling 4,540 holes with precision: the trainees at SHW-Werkzeugmaschinen were faced with this task when building an air hockey table. For the mechanism of the special drilling machine, the prospective industrial mechanics and mechatronics technicians put their complete trust in the lubrication-free motion plastics from igus. Among other things, maintenance-free dryspin lead screws and the lubrication-free drylin W linear technology from igus are used.
Published on 16th March 2023 | Functional surface coatings are an integral part of everyday industrial life. igus iglidur coating materials can be used to protect particularly heavily used components from wear. The lubrication-free, plastic-based powder coatings serve as a friction-optimised surface for electrically conductive components, enabling customers to greatly extend their components’ service life. The iglidur coating designer makes it even easier to select the right coating.
Published on 16th March 2023 | Every year, millions of tons of plastic end up in the oceans. More than 1,000 rivers wash most plastic from land into the sea. Organisations like Plastic Fischer are trying to counteract this pollution. Since 2021, the non-profit company has been collecting and processing plastic waste from rivers in India and Indonesia. The river-cleaning initiative is supported by such companies as igus GmbH in Cologne, which is financing the collection of altogether 10,000 kilogrammes of plastic waste.
Published on 13th March 2023 | Small, corrosion-free and made of plastic: the plain bearing. An unimposing machine element, it is rarely in the limelight, so a joint initiative started by igus, the motion plastics specialist, awards up to €5,000 to the most exciting and creative plain bearing projects every two years. This year, 480 entries were received from 36 countries.
Published on 13th March 2023 | Machines have to work reliably around the clock in such areas as material handling. Warehouses are getting bigger, and increasing mast heights mean high demands on the cables. To ensure trouble-free operation even in demanding hanging applications, igus has developed the CFSPECIAL.192 hybrid cable. It is the only cable on the market specifically for hanging applications in e-chains, suitable for SEW-EURODRIVE’s MOVILINK DDI. A high-tensile aramid support element in the cable jacket allows mast heights five times that of standard cables.
Published on: 24th February 2023 | Stressed automotive designers and buyers can breathe a sigh of relief. If they needed an injection mould for a special component suitable for series production and resistant to wear at short notice, they previously had to wait up to six weeks. Time that igus has now reduced to just seven days – with a service called FastLine. With the iglidur designer, customers can quickly order the tribo-optimised plain bearing. In just four steps, the required part is configured online and ordered from igus.
Published on 17th February 2023 | To be able to safely guide large hoses, igus has now developed a new extender crossbar design for its E4Q modular energy chain series. With the help of an adapter system, the chain can be individually adapted to the hose diameter. The tool-free E4Q opening mechanism ensures easy installation and filling of the energy supply.
Published on 16th February 2023 | igus is stepping up the pace of Low Cost Automation and making entry into automation easier and more affordable than ever before. The interaction of inexpensive hardware and digital innovation puts the future of automation within reach. Here is some evidence for this: the ReBeLmini, a cobot for 3,999 euros and the RBTXperience software for easy commercial robot programming. The virtual iguversum offers the perfect playground to get robot applications and programming up and running with ease and then make them a reality.
Published on 10th February 2023 | A quick and easy individual solution: igus, the motion plastics specialist, offers a wide range of online tools (among other things) to streamline the process. They include the “e-chain expert”, which enables interested parties to assemble an individual energy chain system in just three steps. Price, service life and delivery time are displayed. For the first time, users now have the option of configuring their e-chain with the intelligent i.Sense EC.W wear sensor directly. This gives customers a complex, ready-to-connect e-chain system that includes real-time condition monitoring – in just a few clicks.
Published on 3rd February 2023 | igus Low Cost Automation reflects the company’s determination to lower the barriers to enter into the age of automation. RBTX.com has been part of this effort since 2019. The robotics marketplace helps interested parties find the right automation solution for their individual application as easily, quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Previously, RBTX was available in eight countries. Now igus is expanding the range and launching the robotics marketplace in ten additional countries – with three more soon to follow.
Published on 23rd January 2023 | The programming of motor control systems and the integration into machine environments often takes several days, amounting to costs of several thousand euros. A barrier that the Cologne-based company igus is now removing. With the free motion sample programmes, it is possible to commission the dryve series motor control systems in just a few minutes, and connect them to higher-level programmable logic controllers (PLC). This benefits automation newcomers and professionals alike.
Published on 20th January 2023 | In practice, it is not easy to cost-effectively produce clearance-free multi-link hinges for spoiler kinematics and soft-top and hinge systems. Frequently only roughly punched holes with a limited amount of fine cuts in the guides combined with cold extrusion rivets require costly bearing recalibration. With its plain bearings made of tribologically optimised plastics, such as the new electrically conductive iglidur F300 material, igus offers a technically better solution that costs less. In the e-coating process, the bearing recalibrates itself and also prevents corrosion.
Published on 12th January 2022 | Energy and data transmission bundled in one cable: hybrid technology is gaining acceptance among more and more drive manufacturers. In view of this ongoing trend, igus is expanding its chainflex cable portfolio with two new hybrid cables: one is the CF280.UL.H401 with PUR jacket suitable for the modular drive system ctrlX DRIVE from Bosch Rexroth for synchronous servo motors of the MS2N series. The other is the proven hybrid cable for Siemens SINAMICS S210 drives, now with PVC outer jacket.
Published on 9th January 2023 | Low Cost Automation reduces the barriers to getting started with automation and gives special assistance to small and medium-sized companies in increasing their competitiveness. To this end, motion plastics specialist igus has built up a broad network of 55 robotics providers and 40 integrators over the past three years – and new partners are constantly being added.
Published on 19th December 2022 | Hygienically designed slewing ring bearings have been scarce on the market. Manufacturers of special machines for hygiene-sensitive areas therefore often have to design additional covers. However, igus is now changing all that – with a hygienically designed iglidur PRT slewing ring bearing that enables quick, residue-free cleaning during use. This slewing ring bearing can remain permanently installed in an application with food contact, saving the user the effort of developing a suitable cover.
Published on 16th December 2022 | A wide, angular frame made of plastic, black wheels with Y-spokes: The futuristic look of the bike designed by mtrl, a Dutch bicycle developer, with motion plastics from igus has won the prestigious German Design Award 2023. The award brings an important step in realising the sustainability vision of a bicycle production with post-consumer-waste recycled plastic for urban mobility.
Published on 6th December 2022 | igus is launching the drylin Endless Gear linear module (EGW), a modular, lubrication-free linear guide with rack and pinion drive. The modular system can be extended to any travel length, costs little and is almost as light as the guide for a toy train. Several carriages can travel on it in different directions and at different speeds. Users can also extend the linear guide after installation and add more carriages.
Published on 6th December 2022 | Cleanroom-compatible energy chains from the e-skin flat series still qualify for the highest cleanroom class even after 1.5 years of continuous use and 60 million double strokes. A test, unprecedented in the industry, led to this result. It was carried out in a cleanroom laboratory set up by motion plastics specialist igus in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA).
Published on 2nd December 2022 | Maintaining heavily used and hard-to-reach bus cables faster than ever is what i.Sense CF.D, the igus monitoring module, can do – and nothing else in the world can. The module automatically recognises the positions of stressed areas in a cable and shows them very precisely in metres. The new optical status display now enables users to intervene quickly in a targeted manner, avoiding time-consuming and costly troubleshooting.
Published on 1st December 2022 | Take a closer look at products from all sides with VR glasses. Work with engineers and materials experts in virtual reality to plan machines, plants and vehicles. Fast and location-independent. The iguverse is igus’s parallel digital universe that prepares sales and engineering for the metaverse.
Published on 17th November 2022 | igus has developed Module Connect, a space-saving plug-in connector for connecting electric cables, fibre optic cables, and pneumatic hoses. It is primarily used wherever a large number of cables are connected in energy chains and space is at a premium. For free, individual plug-in module configuration, igus has now added 180 individual parts for Module Connect to its online shop.
Published on 17th November 2022 | If you are looking for an individual, cost-effective automation solution, you don’t have to look far thanks to the igus RBTX Online Marketplace. Instead of purchasing components from many different sources, interested parties can find low-cost robotic components from different manufacturers here – all with price and compatibility guarantees. To make selecting suitable individual parts or a finished system even easier, igus is now presenting Robotics Marketplace 2.0 with a new design and new functions.
Published on 10th November 2022 | Digitalization, globalization, corona pandemic: As a business location, NRW is undergoing a process of transformation. igus is one of the companies that are particularly successful in managing this change. The Cologne-based plastics company was one of two companies to win the “Wirtschaft im Wandel” contest in the “SME & Group” category. igus was particularly honoured for the company’s strong digital orientation.
Published on 31st October 2022 | The British company, Mura Technology is starting a new chapter in modern plastic recycling in Saxony. The first plant in Germany for chemical recycling with a capacity of up to 120,000 tons per year is to be built in Böhlen. What is special about it? It transforms multi-layered mixed plastics, which were previously considered impossible to separate and ended up in the incinerator, into oil that can be used to make new products. This is an important step towards keeping valuable plastics in the circular economy and protecting the environment.
Pubished 27th October 2022 | Simple, cost-effective automation solutions can be found both in an increasing number of Small and Medium Enterprises and among large industrial players. Every two years, igus presents the ROIBOT Award for the most creative applications. This year, the inventors of a labelling robot, the developers of a fully automatic container system for growing vegetables and herbs, and the designers of a wallpapering device received the coveted prize.
Published on 24th October 2022 | Robots have long been indispensable in the industry. However, small and medium-sized companies in particular are often faced with the question: how can a task be automated cost-effectively with little effort? Since 2019, the RBTX marketplace powered by igus, which brings together robotics providers and users, has been offering simple and inexpensive solutions. RBTX is now also cooperating with Universal Robots, one of the world market leaders for industrial and collaborative lightweight robots.
Published on 21st October 2022 | Don’t dispose of old energy chains as industrial waste – let igus recycle them: customer feedback on the “Chainge” recycling initiative, which was launched in 2019, is so positive that igus is now expanding the project. In the future, a new, unique online platform will allow recycling not only of e-chains, but also other of technical plastic components. What is special here is that customers also have the option of purchasing processed material (ground material and regranulate) on the platform. At igus, you thus get everything from a single source. The new platform will also be presented at K 2022, an international plastics trade show, in Düsseldorf.
Pblished on 21st October 2022 | One quick tug and the power cable rolls up: with the e-tract 2.0 automatic retraction system, igus wants to make charging on wallboxes a bit more convenient for e-car owners. The special feature: thanks to the ingenious interplay of two guide rollers, long extension lengths are possible with limited installation space.
Published on 17th October 2022 | With immediate effect, igus is accepting submissions for the manus award 2023, which the plastics specialist has been conducting every two years for the last 20 years. The prize honours the most creative, economical and sustainable uses of plastic plain bearings in industrial applications. There was a record number of participants in 2021 with 582 submissions from 41 countries. The winners of the gold, silver, bronze and green manus awards will receive prize money of up to €5,000.
Published on 30th September 2022 | The motion plastics specialist igus is expanding through investments in its in Low Cost Automation and has now acquired the majority shares in Commonplace Robotics based in Bissendorf near Osnabrück. As an integrator, Commonplace Robotics specialises in intuitive control systems and software, as well as power electronics for robotics, both in industry and in education. The two companies have been cooperating intensively for six years and have, among other things, developed the igus Robot Control , which supplements igus’ low cost kinematics made from high-performance plastics.
Published on 27th September 2022 | How much CO2 is released into the atmosphere as a result of a plastic bearing’s production? For the first time, igus, the motion plastics specialist, is publishing precise CO2 footprints for a large number of its lubrication-free, maintenance-free iglidur polymer plain bearings. Users can use these values as Scope 3 emissions in CO2 accounting for climate-neutral products.
Published on 27th September 2022 | Robust, corrosion-free, chemical-resistant and lightweight – the automotive industry places high demands on plain bearings, for everything from engine compartments to windscreen wipers. Since many bearing materials reach their limits here, igus, the Cologne-based plastics specialist, is launching an alternative: plain bearings made from iglidur H5, the new high-performance plastic.
Published on 22nd September 2022 | A ton of rubbish flows down the Rhine every day. To intercept some of this, the Cologne-based association “Krake” has now introduced a floating garbage trap. Sponsors of the so-called “Rheinkrake” (Rhine Octopus) project include Cologne-based plastics specialist igus.
Published on 22nd September 2022 | igus, the motion plastics specialist based in Cologne, is launching a new laser sintering material for 3D printers: the powdered iglidur i6-BLUE is easy to detect thanks to its blue colouring, and also complies with FDA and EU 10/2011 regulations. The new material thus increases the safety of machines and systems in the food and beverage industry. iglidur i6-BLUE is in no way inferior to the proven iglidur i6 in terms of strength and sliding properties, and is particularly suitable for printing worm gears, toothed gears and snap-on connections in 3D.
Published on 12th September 2022 | Save installation space and weight with just one cable for power and data: it’s easy with harnessed igus readycable hybrid cables. New to the range are ready-to-connect cables suitable for SEW-EURODRIVE with MOVILINK DDI and Siemens SINAMICS S210 with OCC. In addition to PUR, the latter is also available with an outer jacket made of cost-effective PVC. Macros for the EPLAN Electric P8 software speed up cable planning by around 50%.
Published on 6th September 2022 | Recovering crude oil from plastic: British company Mura Technology (Mura) is pursuing this goal with the HydroPRS process to advance the circular economy of plastics. This is a concern that motion plastics specialist igus also shares. igus has been supporting Mura’s project as an investor since 2020. The first HydroPRS plant for the chemical recycling of plastic waste is currently being built by Mura’s subsidiary ReNew ELP in Teesside, England. The advanced recycling pioneer is making great progress and will put the plant into operation at the beginning of 2023.
Published on 6th September 2022 | In order to be able to store and transport as much as possible in a small space, better and better logistics solutions are being sought for cable drums. Thanks to the new chainflex CASE S from igus, lack of space in the warehouse is a thing of the past. The cable box is an addition to the larger CASE M, and also allows easy unwinding of cables directly from the box – even while on the move. With the smaller CASE S, storage and transport is now easier still. After all, customers save 50% of storage space while retaining 100% of the benefits.
Published on 23rd August 2022 | Loads, high speeds and the most adverse environmental conditions: energy chains often have to withstand severe stresses. Safe cable guidance is a challenge, e.g. for very long travels like those in large crane systems. To ensure even greater system safety in such cases, igus now offers users the i.Sense EC.B with a new rope hoist sensor for intelligent condition monitoring for chains of 35 metres or more.
Published on 23rd August 2022 | To make food industry machines and systems even safer, igus is launching a new standard with the iglidur A181 high-performance plastic as a spherical ball material for the igubal Food Contact (FC) joint system. The spherical ball has three times the wear resistance of its iglidur FC180 predecessor, costs 25% less and is lubrication-free, maintenance-free, hygienic and compliant with FDA and EU 10/2011.
Published on 10th August 2022 | ‘From ocean plastics to motion plastics’ is the goal pursued by the specialist for high-performance plastics with the igus:bike project – the concept of a bicycle that is made from over 90 percent plastic. The highlight of the project is that the bicycle in theory can be made from recycled plastic waste such as discarded fishing nets. This allows the marine plastic of yesterday to create the mobility of tomorrow. For the joint development of a first bicycle model, igus has invested in the Dutch start-up mtrl. The motion plastics specialist is now presenting this model and the concept behind the igus:bike project in the marine conservation city of Kiel at the start of the 2022 Olympic Rally Revival.
Published on 4th August 2022 | Container cranes in ports around the world will be even more powerful and fail-safe in the future. This is due to the fact that igus is launching P4HD.56.R – a new heavy-duty energy chain prepared for long travels, high speeds, heavy cable loads and Industry 4.0.
Published on 1st August 2022 | To make the digital creation of circuit diagrams even more effective, igus is publishing 2,046 new macros for the EPLAN planning software. The addition now also allows pre-assembled readycable cables to be visualised in the software within seconds. The cables are compatible not only with drive components from Siemens, SEW and Bosch Rexroth, but also with those from Allen Bradley, Beckhoff, B&R, Heidenhain and Fanuc.
Published on 27th July 2022 | Social transformation, responsibility for the environment and changes in the way we use plastics are receiving notice in industry. For customers interested in more sustainable designs for their moving applications, igus now offers an interesting alternative: four new materials made from recycled plastic are available in the new product range iglidur ECO.
Published on 27th July 2022 | Unplanned maintenance and production downtimes are amongst the biggest challenges industrial companies face. motion plastics specialist igus now offers everyone the opportunity to become a production manager themselves and take on this challenge – with the igumania online browser game. The idle game was developed with the help of the Unity game platform and immerses players in the world of motion plastics. Installing igus products reduces maintenance times in production so that machine downtimes are eliminated, even in the game. The igus corporate goal is also the goal of the game: improve what moves.
Published on 13th July 2022 | Whether mountain bikes for outdoor use, record-breaking light racing bikes or ultra-robust e-cargo bikes: igus will be presenting new components made of high-performance plastic as an alternative to metal solutions for the bikes of the future from July 13th to 17th at the Eurobike 2022 in Frankfurt – including light and lubricant-free polymer plain bearings for mountain bikes, wear-resistant gears for e-bike motors and robust rod ends for e-cargo bikes. Visitors will also be able to see the concept of a bicycle that consists of over 90 percent plastic on the exhibition stand.
Published on 6th July 2022 | Robots have long been an integral part of many areas of industrial manufacturing – and their range of tasks continues to grow in the wake of digitalisation. Whether for welding, painting, soldering or palletising, industrial robots work dynamically. A flexible 3D energy chain such as the triflex R from igus makes it possible to guide robot cables safely. To detect potential chain breaks due to extreme loads in good time and to avoid unplanned machine breakdowns, igus is presenting i.Sense TR.B, the world’s first breakage monitoring system for 3D energy chains at automatica 2022.
Published on 6th July 2022 | With a selection of 175 motion plastics innovations, the igus in-house exhibition is back on tour this year. Whether as a pop-up trailer or as an XXL road show truck: with the mobile trade show stand, customers have the opportunity to see and experience the motion plastics of interest to them directly on site. If you prefer digital information, you can also get to know the latest lubrication-free and maintenance-free tribo-components online at the award-winning virtual/real igus trade show stand.
Published on 6th July 2022 | Exciting innovations created by young start-ups and established companies spring up all over Germany every day. To bring both worlds together, promote groundbreaking developments and cooperate to develop new technologies, igus offers young founders financial backing: the motion plastics specialist from Cologne participates as an investor in the new high-tech start-up fund IV (HTGF IV).
Published on 28th June 2022 | With the T20 of the drylin W series, igus is launching a new linear carriage on the market, which has the same dimensions as most classic carriages with recirculating ball bearing guides. This enables a quick 1:1 replacement – without any structural adjustments. By using drylin W, applications benefit from freedom from lubrication, a long service life, less cleaning effort and reduced weight.
Published on 17th June 2022 | Reducing environmentally harmful emissions from global shipping: with this goal in mind, the Spanish start-up bound4blue has developed a novel propulsion technology – fully automated sails that significantly reduce fuel consumption. Lubrication-free and maintenance-free plain and radial deep groove ball bearings from igus are used.
Published on 15th June 2022 | Man, machine – or both? Humanoid robots are no longer science fiction, they are reality. igus has been researching humanoid robotics for some time and is now presenting a prototype of the motion plastics bot at the Hannover Messe: a humanoid robot that combines the advantages of high-performance plastics and Low Cost Automation.
Publishe on 10th June 2022 | Whether in an industrial environment or in a coffee machine, in order to maximize the service life of a linear guide and to keep the required drive energy low, it is important to reduce friction and wear as much as possible. igus, a motion plastics specialist, has now achieved a breakthrough in tribological plastics: With iglidur E3, igus has developed a new sliding material that has a friction coefficient that is up to 40 percent better and thus opens up design flexibility in linear technology for users for the first time from the classic 2:1 Rule expanded to 3:1.
Published on 10th June 2022 | Almost no limits on long travels, high dynamics, long running times – these are the characteristics that distinguish the innovative igus drive-chain. The world’s first energy chain with its own drive ensures significantly longer running times on extremely long travels because hardly any push/pull forces act on it. Across the globe, rail-mounted automated stacking cranes (ASCs) in ports are just one of the applications that benefit.
Published on 10th June 2022 | Acoustic walls shift as if by magic. Rows of seats emerge from the floor, ascending step by step like in a cinema. Gepber Szinpad, a Hungarian company, won the 2022 gold vector award with a multifunctional hall that transforms at the touch of a button. The judges at the Hannover Messe named the multifunctional hall the most spectacular energy chain application in the last two years – out of 233 entries from 36 countries.
30th May 2022 | German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, accompanied by Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, visited the booth of plastics specialist igus on the first day of the Hanover Fair. The focus of the conversation was the igus:bike, an innovative concept for sustainable urban mobility of the future. You can watch the visit of the Chancellor in a subtitled video recording here.
Published on 18th May 2022 | Cradle-to-cradle: This is the principle of the circular economy, which is abased on nature. The aim: to return consumer goods to the biological or technical cycle in order to conserve valuable resources and raw materials. The motion plastics specialist igus is also pursuing this goal and has now developed the world’s first energy chain made from recycled material on the basis of its own “chainge” e-chain recycling program.
Published on 18th May 2022 | With the iglidur i3000, igus is now presenting the world’s first 3D printing resin specifically for DLP 3D printing of wearing parts. This enables the additive manufacturing of particularly small, precise components with a service life that is 30 to 60 times longer than with conventional 3D printing resins. igus is also expanding its 3D printing service with DLP printers that achieve a resolution of 0.035 millimetres.
12th May 2022 | Normally, the annual press conference of igus GmbH takes place during the Hannover Messe. In 2019 still in presence in Hanover, since 2020 digitally. This year we are participating in the Hannover Messe again, but since it does not start until 30 May and we do not want to hold back our innovations until then, the press conference took place yesterday. The original broadcast was only for representatives of the press, the unabridged recording is now available to everyone. Enjoy!
Published on 12th May 2022 | igus has given its online configurator for low-cost gantry robots a facelift with the help of the game engine Unity, making it even more efficient to use. From now on, users can configure an individual ready-to-connect gantry robot even more quickly and easily - in just 5 minutes and with live price information. With the help of the online tools, each automation solution can also be programmed and tested directly in the selected workspace and the CAD data and a suitable drawing can be loaded.
Published on 28th April 2022 | Good news for users of the igus E4.1 energy chain series: newly developed roller chain links reduce required drive power by 37%. This allows customers to reduce their electricity costs in times of sharply rising energy prices.
22.04.2022 | The iF International Forum Design GmbH presents its awards in several categories and so we are pleased about another award, especially for the category industrial design. We are among the top 25 companies worldwide and are very pleased about this. At the same time, three of our new products were also awarded the iF DESIGN AWARD. For example, the significantly quieter and more wear-resistant xiros® two-component ball bearing.
22.4.2022 | The new product season is starting and we are delighted to receive another iF DESIGN AWARD award: we are one of the top 100 design winners in Germany for 2018 - 2022. The new iF Top label, which we are now entitled to carry, recognises designers who consistently occupy a leading position. The selection depends on the number and type of awards.
Published on 14th April 2022 | Requirements for machine components are becoming increasingly stringent: installing drives and allowing movements in even the smallest of installation spaces is a challenge that companies are facing in many areas. Now igus has refined its PRT-04 slewing ring bearing series to suit these applications exactly – with an extremely compact slewing ring bearing for even more space savings.
Published on 13th April 2022 | Adjusting the width of a stop edge or the height of a monitor: programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are often oversized for thousands of such simple automation tasks. The alternatives from igus are the stepper motor output stages D7, D8 and D9 of the dryve series. Among other things, they are characterised by their simple operation and low-vibration running. At the same time, the output stages are particularly favourable and available directly from stock.
Published on 31st March 2022 | Customers of motion plastics products – from drive cables to gears – continued to receive a very high proportion of their orders quickly in 2021. The 2019 plan to invest in production and supply chain helped meet the surge in demand. This intense scale-up will continue until 2023, also with a view to the Ukraine conflict. The enterprise’s goal gained focus: improve what moves in a CO2-neutral manner, with zero plastic waste and become “the easiest company to deal with.”
Published on 31st March 2022 | Since 2019, igus has been using its chainge recycling program to give old energy chains a new life. Now, the motion plastics specialist is taking things a step further. Recycling begins at assembly. To avoid industrial waste, igus is organising return delivery of worn-out energy chains – and returning them to the material cycle.
Published on 17th March 2022 | Effective immediately, igus offers the ReBeL service robot – also as a smart version. At €4,970 (prices may vary from country to country) and only around 8 kilogrammes, the plug-and-play variant is one of the lightest cobots on the market. Digital services such as the RBTXpert and new online offerings enable customers to create complete automation solutions in just a few days that don’t break the bank.
Published on 15th March 2022 | Even tried and tested structures have potential for improvement. One example is the classic trapezoidal thread, which igus has refined. Thanks to a special geometric interaction between the lead screw nut, which requires no lubrication or maintenance, and the metal lead screw, dryspin technology promises a long service life, improved efficiencies, low wear and less movement noise. Now dryspin lead screw technology is available in eight new installation sizes.
8th March 2022 | Focus Money presented us with no less than two awards at the start of the year. In the study "Digital Champions 2022", social listening based on the topics of digitalisation, technology and innovation was carried out and a questionnaire completed by the companies surveyed was evaluated. In the "Technical Component Manufacturers" category, we took 2nd place with 87.9 out of 100 points. The "Company of the Year 2022" study recognises companies that have performed particularly well in the previous 2021 Social Listenings "Award Winner", "Highest Trust", "Customer Favourites" and "Germany's Best - Sustainability". Here we also took 2nd place in the "Technical Components" category (different name, almost the same competitors) with 97.3 out of 100 points. Both studies were conducted by the IMWF Institute for Management and Economic Research. We are delighted about these awards!
Published on 21st February 2022 | igus aims at further strengthening the company’s successful training model. In the “Germany’s Best Training Companies in 2022” study, the motion plastics specialist was awarded the third prize in the category rubber and plastics industry companies for its commitment to supporting young talent. But how does igus promote the next generation of skilled workers specifically? One answer: with their own trainee company.
Published on 15th February 2022 | The company igus is expanding its broad Low Cost Automation range with a new drylin XXL room linear robot. The linear robot has an action radius of 2,000 x 2,000 x 1,500 millimetres and is particularly suitable for palletising applications of up to 10 kilograms. The robot is available from 7,000 euros, including the control system, and is easy to set up and program yourself using the do-it-yourself principle – without the help of a system integrator.
Published on 15th February 2022 | The company igus has expanded its wide range of iglidur round bars by no less than four materials; among them two for the food sector: the heat-resistant material iglidur AC500 and the resilient material A250. The extremely hard-wearing material iglidur H3 and the particularly wear-resistant endurance material iglidur E complete the product range. This makes it possible to mill and turn lubrication-free and maintenance-free prototypes and special components for a wide variety of applications.
Published on 7th Febrauary 2022 | Constant relubrication of metallic bearing points in the food industry costs time, money and increases the risk of contamination. Maintenance-free igubal spherical bearings from igus are an economical and safe alternative. Now, the motion plastics specialist is introducing a new model for higher loads. It is equipped with a stainless-steel housing, a self-lubricating polymer inner ring and a stainless-steel spherical ball. This allows for higher-load applications to be converted to future-proof tribo-technology.
10th February 2022 | As part of corporate social responsibility, igus India is partnering with Akshayapatra Foundation, an Indian non-governmental organisation based in Bengaluru. The organisation works to eliminate hunger in classrooms by introducing the Mid-Day Meal program in government and government-aided schools. This provides healthy food for over 1.8 million children in India on every school day. The Indian subsidiary of igus supported with Happiness Kits for 308 children during the COVID Lockdown. Each of these kits consists of immune-boosting food, educational items and hygiene products.
3rd February 2022 | The Chicago Athenaeum, a private museum of architecture and design in Galena, Illinois, has presented the Good Design Awards for more than 70 years. The goal is "to create an awareness about contemporary design and to honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace." Good Design® was founded in Chicago in 1950 by Charles and Ray Eames, among others. We were awarded for our virtual-real trade show booth IMPS and six of our products and are very happy about it!
Published on 3rd February 2022 | Many designers of special machines and prototypes are under pressure. If they urgently need custom toothed belt discs beyond off-the-shelf products, delivery often takes several weeks. A waiting time that the 3D-printing service from igus has reduced to 48 hours. Users do not have to compromise on quality. On the contrary, the test series in the igus laboratory showed a significantly longer service life of the tribo-material for laser sintering compared to milled and injection-moulded POM parts.
Published on 3rd February 2022 | The plug-in energy chain system readychain speed from igus connects harnessed e-chain systems in seconds and without the use of tools. This helps reduce both throughput times in assembly and machine downtimes, and also brings planned maintenance work to a minimum. The ready-to-connect e-chain system thus saves 80% installation time. With the new readychain micro-speed, this is now also possible for very small applications and in particularly tight installation spaces.
Published on 27th January 2022 | It undertakes work that is lethal for humans: the remote-controlled robot “Crawler” restores the inner walls of pipelines in power plants. An automation that needs to be regularly maintained in order to protect the power and data cables from the harsh environmental conditions. Here, the US manufacturer Remote Orbital Installations LLC relies on the collaboration with igus.
Published on 27th January 2022 | The motion plastics specialist igus demonstrates an exciting new approach for linear carriages. A clip mechanism enables easy installation and removal from the linear guide in a matter of seconds.
Published on 27th January 2022 | Classic clamps provide strain relief for pneumatic hoses in energy chains. But if they are over tightened, the hoses can be crushed. This can lead to a loss of performance. The answer from igus: a new CFX series clamp with high holding force, which at the same time makes over-tightening impossible.
Published on 10th January 2022 | Nature is often the best model: The shape of the new igubal pillow block is based on the design principles of a tree. Flattened radii ensure maximum resistance to mechanical stresses. This bionic shape makes the housings with their high-performance plastics that require no lubrication or maintenance a real alternative to classic cast iron housing bearings.
Published on 10th January 2022 | In the industry, sparks due to a lack of electrostatic discharge can lead to expensive breakdowns of machines and systems and worst case explosions. In order to increase protection here, igus has expanded the range of lubrication and maintenance-free xiros guide rollers to include a dissipative variant made of stainless steel.
Published on 10th January 2022 | igus extends its range of iglidur tribological plain bearings for applications with special loads. The materials iglidur M210 and M260 are new to the range. They enable a quick changeover from thick-walled metal bearings to plastic bearings without any structural modifications. The advantage of a change is that the bearing points no longer require lubrication and are almost maintenance-free. They offer a significant time and cost advantage, especially in harsh environments in the daily operation of construction, agricultural and municipal machines.igus extends its range of iglidur tribological plain bearings for applications with special loads. The materials iglidur M210 and M260 are new to the range. They enable a quick changeover from thick-walled metal bearings to plastic bearings without any structural modifications. The advantage of a change is that the bearing points no longer require lubrication and are almost maintenance-free. They offer a significant time and cost advantage, especially in harsh environments in the daily operation of construction, agricultural and municipal machines.
