Sustainability, and the circular economy are no longer mere trends or buzzwords, but urgent issues that drive people, the economy and public policy. Germany’s Chancellor Merkel, speaking at the 20th Annual Conference of the German Council for Sustainable Development on 8th June 2021, underscored the importance of sustainable development and a sustainability strategy that includes […]
For years, robots have been considered drivers of productivity and efficiency. With the latest technologies and robot types, the degree of automation in the manufacturing industry is continuously increasing. Industrial robot support allows complex, tiresome, and dangerous work to be automated and performed quickly. The tasks range from vacuum cleaning robots to bomb defusers. In […]
There are countless materials in the world. But very few come into question for the cable industry. The most frequently used jacket materials in cable technology are PVC and PUR. But, in addition to these two outer jacket materials, we at igus use TPE (thermoplastic elastomers). However, not all TPEs are created equal. That is […]
Every normal household in Germany has the problem: plastic bottles pile up and have to be taken to a nearby supermarket. With all the bottles in tow, you head straight to the reverse vending machine, get a receipt, and continue shopping. But close observation reveals a great deal of technology behind the reverse vending machine […]
Although robotics and automation have many advantages for employees, production processes and customers, they are still viewed critically, especially by SMEs. Breaking into automation, especially for those with little affinity for IT, often involves high investment and great effort. But robot manufacturers are increasingly focusing on cost-effective alternatives that are as user-friendly and as easy to program as possible.
To correctly design plain bearings, you primarily need two fundamental parameters: the sliding speed (v in metres per second) and the load to be carried (p in N/mm²). Together, they give you the pv value, which is an important quantity in the selection of plain bearings. Calculating the load or surface pressure is relatively simple, […]
Because technologies supported by the Industrial Internet of Things are enjoying greater acceptance in factory environments, even more components with integrated intelligence are being produced. This is leading to the emergence of a new generation of smart plastics capable of constantly monitoring themselves and providing performance data and early warning of critical wear. These smart plastics can be used to increase plant productivity, maximise service life, and reduce costs thanks to condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.
More than 25,000 igus energy chains travel long distances every year in STS cranes, storage and retrieval units and linear robots. To load and unload the cutting-edge Triple E-class container ships, larger STS cranes must be built or existing cranes retrofitted. For future operations, in addition to using rol e-chains, there is much to recommend self-monitoring systems fitted with sensors.