Your entire igus campus in Cologne, the place it researches, produces, and exams, now covers round 218,000 sq. m (2.3 million sq. ft.). Supply: igus GmbH
From movement plastics to humanoid robots, igus GmbH has continued to innovate. Regardless of financial constraints and geopolitical tensions, the Cologne, Germany-based firm yesterday introduced that it made €1.105 billion ($1.19 billion U.S.) in gross sales final 12 months. It’s providing a report variety of 277 new lubrication-free movement plastics merchandise for 2025.
“The altering political and financial circumstances didn’t depart us totally unaffected,” acknowledged Tobias Vogel, CEO for plain bearings and linear expertise at igus. “Like a lot of our prospects, we’re additionally specializing in financial savings and elevated effectivity, e.g. by elevated automation in our manufacturing facility.”
“Nonetheless, our focus is at all times on the query: What’s in it for the client?” he added. “These challenges are a fair better incentive for us to interrupt new floor and show our modern energy ‘made in Germany’ to strengthen each our competitiveness and that of our prospects.”
Whereas the VDMA Robotics + Automation Affiliation has expressed concern that the German robotics business has misplaced competitiveness, igus has elevated the variety of energetic prospects by 5%. The corporate reported a comparatively reasonable decline in turnover of two.5%.
Based in 1964, igus develops and produces movement plastics, that are lubrication-free, high-performance polymers. The family-run firm mentioned it’s the world market chief in vitality provides, versatile cables, and plain and linear bearings, in addition to lead screw expertise made from tribo-polymers. It employs 5,200 individuals worldwide and has U.S. amenities in Rumford, R.I.
Low Value Automation addresses extra purposes
“There may be nonetheless loads of potential for innovation in German business,” mentioned igus, which cited its Low-Value Automation improvement work for example. Its RBTX on-line market consists of configuration instruments, free consulting and utility testing, and quite a few merchandise for lean robotics purposes.
“We provide over 200,000 elements for automation,” famous Alexander Mühlens, vp and head of the Low-Value Automation enterprise unit at igus. “There are too many boring jobs, even inside igus.”
Functions appropriate for automation, even at igus, embody palletizing and bringing elements to molding and drilling machines, he instructed The Robotic Report in the course of the firm’s spring media name.
“We’re beginning with AMRs for inside and out of doors purposes,” mentioned Mühlens.
As well as, igus affords assist with integrating all of the applied sciences it affords. “Robotics customers must combine cameras with robots,” he mentioned. “Our reply is the Robotic Management software program, which makes it straightforward to combine cameras with our SCARA robotic and ReBeL cobots.”
Whereas about 30% of igus’ collaborative robotic arms are utilized in schooling, 70% are in industrial purposes akin to high quality management, pick-and-place operations, drilling, CNC machine tending, gluing, and printing, Mühlens mentioned.
On the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo, which can be on April 30 and Could 1 in Boston, igus will reveal the next applied sciences at Sales space 221 on the present ground:
- The “axis” on-line neighborhood for the business
- The ReBeL EduMove cellular manipulator utilizing open-source software program for schooling and analysis
- The igus Robotic Management software program
Jan Hennecke, Low-Value Automation product supervisor at igus, will current a session on “How one can Get Your First Robotic Into the Manufacturing facility” on Wednesday, April 30.
Register now so you do not miss out!
igus is constructing its first humanoid
The corporate is growing its first humanoid robotic made from high-performance plastic, notably for its shifting elements. The system relies on igus’ ReBeL Transfer wheeled cellular robotic, and ReBeL light-weight cobot arms.
“It may be used flexibly and from any location at totally different workstations — with a return on funding [ROI] of lower than one 12 months,” the corporate asserted.
As for goal markets for its humanoid, igus is open to buyer suggestions, Mühlens mentioned. Instance purposes embody greeting prospects and a few insertion and meeting duties in factories.
“By way of danger analyses, humanoids are simpler to begin with in manufacturing vegetation than in eating places,” mentioned Mühlens, who added that the robotic can be designed for secure human-machine interplay.
“Humanoids are the long run in a world designed for people,” he mentioned. “We’ll be presenting at Hannover Messe 2025.”
Consistent with its motto, ‘Go Zero Lubrication,’ igus is presenting 277 plastic improvements this 12 months, from PTFE-free supplies and a whole vitality chain collection created from recycled supplies to a humanoid robotic. Supply: igus GmbH
Movement plastics chief seems to spice up sustainability
Along with presenting 277 new movement plastics merchandise, igus is constant to put money into the analysis, improvement, and manufacturing of modern applied sciences. The corporate mentioned it’s producing a model of its igludur plain bearings freed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon) at comparable value factors and efficiency to straightforward bearings.
igus is changing its total E2.1 collection of vitality chains to recycled materials from outdated fishing nets and vitality chains that it recycles as a part of its Chainge program. It claimed that this may cut back the CO2 footprint by 80%.
The corporate mentioned it has reached 92% towards its goal of being CO2-neutral with its buildings and manufacturing by the top of 2025, measured towards Scopes 1 and a couple of.
“We have to turn out to be even higher on this space and are engaged on quite a few sustainability measures, from the brand new multi-story automobile park with full façade greening to the modernization of our present buildings … with photovoltaic programs to the enlargement of our MHRS system for heating with waste warmth from machines,” defined Michael Blass, CEO of e-chain programs at igus.
The corporate additionally introduced the igus Cell Shore Energy Outlet (iMSPO) for the shore energy provide of container and cruise ships. The system is already in use in ports akin to Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Singapore.
With Fraunhofer IPA, igus has developed a brand new certificates that confirms the cleanroom suitability of its e-chains in long-term exams. They’ll stand up to over 15 million double strokes with minimal and constant particle emissions, which is vital in battery manufacturing.
With its emphasis on controlling prices for purchasers, igus is providing the brand new G4.42 vitality chain for easy gliding purposes akin to on indoor cranes with journey distances of as much as 30 m (98.4 ft.). Due to the G4.42’s optimized design, it’s not solely 12 to 25% lighter, but in addition 30% to 40% less expensive than customary chains of the identical dimensions from the E2 and E4 product vary, mentioned igus.
The corporate famous that it has expanded by creating inside startups for programs akin to ball bearings, robotic drives, 3D printing, and clever “sensible plastics” for Business 4.0. It additionally confirmed off the principally plastic RCYL bike, which is at present on a world tour to indicate the chances of recycled supplies with igus engineering.
The igus low-maintenance bicycle created from recycled plastic is now on a world tour. Supply: igus GmbH
igus invests in German, world presence
“Within the final 5 years, we have now invested over €350 million [$377.2 million] in Cologne alone — in land, buildings, state-of-the-art machines, software program, new merchandise, individuals and advertising and marketing,” mentioned Vogel.
With final month’s acquisition of elko Verbindungstechnik, which produces cables and plug-in connectors utilized in machine instruments and the automotive business, igus is increase its meeting capability in southern Germany. At its Cologne headquarters, igus is investing in automation akin to specifically developed and patented crimp towers and automatic guided autos (AGVs) in its manufacturing facility buildings.
The corporate has additionally expanded its manufacturing corridor and check laboratory in Germany, in addition to in its branches in Shanghai, China, and Bangalore, India.
“The client is on the middle of all our actions,” mentioned Blass. “After introducing injection molding within the U.S., we’re now additionally establishing on-site lead screw manufacturing and have opened our personal RBTX buyer testing space for low-cost robotics.”
“Because of this 10 nations now have their very own buyer check areas in order that customers can shortly and simply discover their particular person Low-Value Automation resolution on website,” he mentioned. “Three of those areas — USA, China, Brazil — can be expanded into regional hubs, in order that manufacturing and improvement may also be more and more localized. We’re additionally investing within the enlargement of branches in different nations akin to Japan, Spain, Taiwan and Poland.”
