2022 smart plastics news

Moving energy made smart – with innovation and sustainability

Our task is to continually develop innovations in the area of e-chains and cables. This enables us to reduce your costs while improving the quality of your machines and systems - in a nutshell, "Tech up, Cost down".
 
We at igus also take responsibility for contributing to reducing plastic waste and improving recycling: when energy chains reach the end of their service life, we have them processed in the igus recycling programme. You can also learn more about our investment in chemical recycling conducted by Mura Technology Limited.

IMPS - igus motion plastics show

A 400m² physical-virtual trade show stand that you can visit whenever you like:
 

NEW at SPS with optical status display ...

... Detect cable stress at an early stage with i.Sense CF.D

Until now, there have often been only two options for servicing and maintaining cables subject to high mechanical stress: either reactively replace them when they are already defective or replace functioning cables at specific intervals as a precaution.

The new smart plastics i.Sense CF.D module provides the first real alternative: predictive maintenance of data, bus, or Ethernet cables by intelligently monitoring data transmission quality during operation. 

Extending service life has never been this cost effective ...

... with the new i.Sense EC.W service life sensor

The new i.Sense EC.W sensor makes more system availability more cost-effective than ever before. Due to the direct connection of the PLC machine control via potential-free contacts, real-time status monitoring for your gliding energy supply systems is possible from EUR 248.00 (DE list). 

This makes it easier than ever to avoid unplanned downtime and increase system availability. 

Finally also for multi-axis and industrial robots ...

... i.Sense TR.B for intelligent condition monitoring

Robots have long been indispensable in many areas of industrial manufacturing – bb welding, painting, soldering, and palletising: industrial robots are becoming dynamic. 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 avoid unplanned machine breakdowns, igus has developed i.Sense TR.B, the world's first breakage monitoring system for 3D energy chains. 

First non-contact system monitoring ...

... thanks to the new i.Cee wonderbox

With the non-contact system monitoring for gliding e-chain systems^® (with & without rollers), igus^® has achieved a technological sensation. The new i.Cee wonderbox measures the dynamic parameters of the "passing" chain without contact, similar to a speed trap on the motorway. By comparing with standard values from years of experience in the igus test laboratory, changes in condition can be detected at an early stage and precise service life predictions can be made for each individual chain link.

World premiere ...

... Predictive maintenance in the cleanroom with i.Cee EC.S

In this cleanroom highlight, the smart ultrasonic sensor technology is used to continuously monitor the current sag of the e-skin® flat system. The e-skin® flat with support chain SKF.S is equipped with a defined bend radius and therefore enables unsupported lengths in cleanrooms. As soon as a critical condition of the energy supply system can be detected, predictive maintenance recommendations are issued.

Reliable energy supply system ...

... thanks to i.Sense ES.B

The new theatre e-spool now comes with various smart features: the force of the three springs included is monitored with a load cell sensor. If the force falls below the specified value, the user is prompted to replace the spring. When the specified value is exceeded, there is a blockage that must be removed. A​ rotation sensor monitoring system can also be installed to count the drum revolutions and determine the position of the chain. 

All-in-one: new customer portal i.Cee:portal ...

... for all smart plastics components

In the new i.Cee:portal, numerous functions and use cases will be made possible in a single central location in the future: 

• Secure (VPN), authenticated access to local i.Cee dashboards ​
• Overview of all customer assets (online and offline)​
• Remote configuration and reset for individual assets​
• Status report for all assets ​
• Alarm & message overview

Avoid unplanned downtime with just three clicks ...

... in the new i.Sense online shop

Following the smart plastics complete sets, the i.Sense EC.P systems for push/pull force monitoring and i.Sense EC.B for breakage detection can now also be configured in their entirety including pricing and ordered from the i.Sense online shop.​

The individual system configuration for each application can be easily selected based on several selection criteria (chain series, length, control cabinet position, excess cable length). The​ bill of materials, price and delivery time are then generated. Further information such as EPLAN macros as well as operating and mounting instructions can also be viewed directly in the shop.

Intelligent plant monitoring ...

... in the smart factory from FANUC & igus

To evaluate data from machines and systems, FANUC, the international robot manufacturer, offers its "FIELD system", an open industrial IoT platform. The system uses local network topology to connect production machines from all manufacturers, allowing comprehensive data analysis for the entire process chain.

The infrastructure uses apps from both FANUC and third-party suppliers. The igus "smart plastics – i.Cee" app enables maintenance personnel to monitor the condition of their igus components at all times in the FIELD system and plan maintenance work predictively.

Draw electrical plans faster ...

... with the new smart plastics EPLAN macros

EPLAN Electric P8, one of the main EPLAN GmbH & Co. KG products, is considered one of the industry standards for electrical design. This provides support in plant project planning, from end-to-end planning to manufacturing, commissioning, servicing and maintenance. Various studies were used to determine that the time required for this project planning effort could be reduced by more than 50%. 

Digitalization on all travels ...

... with many more smart chain highlights 2022

• The E4.80R modular expansion now comes with the full i.Sense product range for intelligent condition monitoring (EC.B, EC.P, and CF.P). 
• The i.Sense EC.B smart breakage detection system can now be used in the new YE(HD) hybrid chain as well to protect against unexpected stoppages.
• In the new AG5.RAIL design study, i.Sense EC.P and EC.W​ ​directly lay the foundation for a predictive maintenance concept. 
• Optionally, the e-dispenser also offers smart plastics rotation monitoring. 

Cable monitoring made easy ...

... thanks to Cable Condition Monitoring from igus

The new, protocol-independent measuring method determines cable data transmission properties during operation using high-frequency technology. This eliminates the need for additional sacrificial cores. The latest generation can even manage completely contactless cable monitoring. 

If the transmission characteristics start to deteriorate, cables can be replaced in good time. Intelligent condition monitoring of the entire moving cable, including the plug-in connector, also prevents system downtimes. 

"Intelligent rebel of automation" ...

... smart plastics now also available in the igus cobot ReBeL®

For the latest generation of service robots with cobot function, igus has applied its motion plastics know-how to power electronics and for the first time developed an encoder using conductive plastic tracks. This allows the temperature, number of rotations and cycles to be measured precisely.

Thanks to a connection through the smart plastics systems, a dashboard displays all live data generated – and the customer can choose whether this is done via the cloud or on a local network. The customer receives full transparency about the smart ReBeL^® in operation for key indicators such as wear, cycle time and quantities.

Full control with smart bearings ...

... with the new i.Sense BRG mini-sensor

The new i.Sense BRG mini-sensor gives you full control. Because with this innovation, you can make (almost) any plastic product from igus "smart"; i.e. as a user, you benefit from real-time condition monitoring including digital evaluation options for the recorded machine data. In combination with the i.Cee module, predictive maintenance recommendations or service life statements are then issued. 
 

More safety on long journeys ...

... with i.Sense EC.B and the new rope hoist sensor

Links in e-chains^® are made for tough continuous use. Sometimes it still happens differently than you think; especially on long travels. To achieve this, we have now equipped our proven i.Sense EC.B system for intelligent breakage detection with a new rope hoist sensor. This detects a break immediately even with chain lengths over 35m and immediately triggers a message in the event of a fall. This makes it possible to respond directly and avoid expensive consequential damage or complete plant failure.