‘Chainging’ the engineering game: Connectivity takes a trip to igus UK
Author : Sophia Bell, Group Editor, Connectivity
14 July 2023
Connectivity was recently invited to igus UK in Northampton to explore the company’s exciting new range of products and initiatives. Here, Group Editor Sophia Bell takes you on a tour through the highlights of the visit.
Become an RBTXpert
Driven by a need to increase productivity and tackle labour shortages, more and more companies are turning to automation and robotics. This is a hugely positive development, but it also means that when it comes to selecting the right system for your application, the choice can be overwhelming. The perceived high price of implementing automation also remains a deterrent for many SMEs.
Recognising this, igus has recently launched RBTX, an online platform that serves as a marketplace for low-cost robotics. With RBTX, igus aims to simplify the automation process and make it accessible, affordable, and achievable for all. This makes it an ideal entry point for beginners and designers of small automation projects.
With over 140 suppliers – and growing – RBTX helps customers to find a solution tailored to the needs of their particular application. To make it easy to narrow down the options, the platform allows users to customise their search based on factors like price, precision and functionality, as well as the sector in which the product will operate. RBTX also allows users to test before they invest and offers free consultations with RBTXperts, who can provide customers with expert advice and support on their automation journey.
Making a Chainge
We really must talk about the igus's sustainability efforts. I was fascinated to learn more about the company's ‘Chainge’ programme, which focuses on recycling and reusing materials. With an impressive 85,000kg of material returned since 2019, igus accepts any chain, regardless of the manufacturer or condition.
This year, igus has expanded the programme to encompass all technical plastics, from polyamide to PEEK, as well as cables – a recycling area much less understood by manufacturers.
On top of helping its customers to enhance their sustainability efforts, igus has also made significant strides in its own journey to net zero. Notable initiatives include the company’s commitment to planting 64,000 trees annually and to heating its Cologne factory with spent coolant water from injection moulding machines.
One area that is still being developed, but I think has a lot of potential, is igus’s bearings for wooden shafts. Suitable for industries such as the furniture sector, this offers a more sustainable alternative to steel or aluminium.
As a result of such efforts, igus achieved a 31.2 percent reduction in CO2 emissions in 2021, compared to the previous year. The company is additionally committed to becoming carbon neutral and eliminating plastic waste by 2025.
App helps design engineers igusGO the distance
Of particular interest to design engineers is igus’s free cloud-based app, igusGO, which aims to facilitate the design process. Simply take a picture of the existing application in situ and, using artificial intelligence, the app will indicate which of igus’s products can help you to design your application so that it is lubrication-free. This enables you to realise the optimisation potential of thousands of objects in just a few seconds. Clever stuff.
Setting the stage for theatrical innovation
Get your jazz hands ready, because for the next innovation, we’re heading to the theatre.
Stage and concert performers grappling with cumbersome microphone stands and unreliable sound systems may soon bid farewell to their struggles, thanks to igus’s new Microphone Motor Reeler.
Debuted at ABTT 2023, this motor-driven reeler allows for the seamless positioning of microphones anywhere on stage, unlike traditional systems that require manual operation using pulleys.
By using a twisterband instead of a slip ring, the reeler further ensures uninterrupted sound transmission from the microphone, with an extension length of 30m that covers almost every stage application. (In case you were wondering, I can confirm that this does indeed include open-mic ‘dad joke’ events, as demonstrated with aplomb during my visit to Northampton.)
The Microphone Motor Reeler is currently in the design stage, with plans to develop it into a double-cable system in the near future.
Stepping into the iguverse
What was the most interesting part of the visit for me, however, was getting to venture into the iguverse, a digital parallel universe designed to simplify engineering processes and provide immersive experiences for customers. I’m proud to say that I’m now the proud owner of a certificate declaring that I’m an iguverse expert. Line up for autographs, please!
“With iguverse, we are embarking on a new path of presentation, selling and engineering," explained Managing Director Matthew Aldridge.
“igus also wants to learn something new and to explore this path with our customers, a path with a lot of potential for business development. For example, sales representatives and customers could put VR glasses on during customer visits and immerse themselves in the iguverse.”
With an increasing number of people working remotely, the ability for colleagues from all around the world to meet up and exchange ideas in the digital space is a huge advantage. Projects can be completed more quickly and efficiently than would be attainable in the physical world.
“Studies show that customers are up to nine times more likely to remember experiences they receive in daily reality and therefore understand them more quickly," said Aldridge.
During the visit, armed with a virtual reality headset, I was able to inspect products from all angles in minute detail, picking them up and passing them to others in the room.
In the automotive room, I could step into the car and visualise where individual components would fit. I was also able to walk right into the robot booth and see the robots at work in unprecedented detail and at a much closer distance than could be achieved in real life. (No limbs were lost in the making of this article.)
So, what’s next for the iguverse? igus is now considering expanding the platform to make it accessible for other manufacturers to showcase their machinery and systems within the virtual space, using igus components. To support this, igus plans to establish a comprehensive reference database for all motion plastics on its dedicated B2B platform, accessible within the virtual realm.
“In the future, customers from all over the world will have the opportunity in iguverse to develop machines, systems and machines together with igus, partner engineers and project managers and to immerse themselves in the projects and applications – saving time and money,” concluded Managing Director Matthew Aldridge.
Thank you to igus UK for showing me around – it was great to see a company so committed to sustainability and innovation. I look forward to seeing what’s next for this ambitious company!