EC.IT Contactless condition sensor ...

... for roller energy chains with direct superwise connection

The contactless EC.IT sensor collects data during operation virtually "on the fly". Thanks to the direct connection to superwise Service, the EC.IT sensor box can display valuable information on service life, provide maintenance instructions and draw attention to any irregularities. In addition, all relevant information can be viewed in a compact and clearly structured form on the dashboard.​
 

The OTA-capable i.Sense module ...

... with connection to the superwise service

The i.Sense GEN II NEW module now comes with over-the-air (OTA) updates for firmware and operating software, records movement profile data from your machines and enables an IoT connection to the superwise portal in addition to the proven push/pull force and breakage detection. Reliably prevents system failures caused by dirt and debris, misalignment or weathering effects.
 

i.Cee integrated superwise maintenance management

Plan service calls and retrofits intelligently. With the addition of a new maintenance management module to the firmware and the connection to the superwise system, a smart step can be taken in service management. The module enables optimised maintenance planning. Systems can be maintained more efficiently and unplanned downtimes reduced. Integrating the maintenance management module into the superwise system is a smart step towards improving maintenance processes.

The iComm box for all i.Sense modules

All sensors in one box ... Seamlessly integrated into the superwise system

With the iComm box, real-time information is seamlessly integrated into the superwise system. This compact solution combines all i.Sense sensors in a single device and offers optimal integration with the superwise condition monitoring service. The clear dashboard not only displays service life information and maintenance instructions, but also alarms in the event of anomalies to ensure efficient and proactive maintenance.
 

Quickly detect power failures with the CF-D module ...

... now with event log and Profinet Ethercat capability

The CF-D module can quickly detect cable failures and is therefore crucial for effective and accurate maintenance of Ethernet cables. With the new event log function and compatibility with Profinet Ethercat, the i.Sense CF.D module takes fault diagnostics to a new level: it precisely localises the location of transmission faults, allowing maintenance work to be carried out quickly and accurately.
 

Recognise the condition of the chain at a glance ...

... with the status indicator

The mechanical status display with coloured indicators (green, yellow, red). This is exposed by the abrasion of the wear additives of the chain links. The colour changes to yellow with increasing abrasion. The decreasing distance between the crossbars indicates the state of wear.
 

Smart igubal® flange mounted bearings ...

... equipped with abrasion sensor

The igubal® flange mounted bearings are equipped with an abrasion sensor that is integrated into the polymer spherical ball. Conductive elements are interrupted by wear. The resulting percentage status values are transmitted either to the local i.Cee system or to the superwise cloud solution via a long range network (LoRa).
 

The new travel measuring system ...

... with a measuring accuracy of up to 1mm

Precise positioning is no longer a problem. Positions can be determined with an accuracy of 1mm using the new travel measuring system.
 

Ball coupling without lubrication

With the intelligent trailer coupling, maintenance can be planned safely. A sensor measures the wear of the bearing and informs the user in good time when a bearing needs to be replaced. Failures and damage can lead to high costs in the agricultural sector. This can be prevented with the smart spherical ball.

Moving energy made smart

Do you know how expensive an hour of plant downtime is for industrial companies? Please note: between 39,000 and 2 million US dollars, according to a study by Senseye, a UK-based maker of analytics software. These costs add up. The top 500 sales-volume companies in the world lose nearly $1.5 trillion a year to equipment failures. This massive drain on profits can't be ignored. Not even in small and medium-sized companies. So it is not surprising that more and more companies are implementing forward-looking concepts such as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. This is an important step in minimising downtime and making maintenance work more economical.

smart plastics meets orange service

superwise - igus® smart service

For the first time, the new "superwise" service combines the first-class igus® orange product service with the latest smart plastics technology in one package. Through the systematic as well as AI-supported evaluation of the customer's application or project data, igus® offers a whole host of advantages with "superwise". For example, we can actively inform you about price, delivery time and possible product improvements before an upcoming exchange. 
 

Flexibility meets safety: i.Sense TR.B

First condition monitoring system for robot e-chains

Robots have long been indispensable in many areas of industrial manufacturing – 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. 
 

Extremely light, but always monitoring ...

... the new i.Sense igubal® sensor

The intelligent smart plastics fixed flange bearing constantly monitors the condition of the bearing point and immediately reports the first signs of wear in order to avoid serious bearing damage.  The aim is to receive an immediate notification if the bearing properties deteriorate. This prevents expensive disruptions and failures.
 

Direct real-time monitoring easier than ever ...

... with the new smart plastics MWS

The smart plastics mini wear sensor (MWS) is used to record the percentage of abrasion on moving system parts in order to avoid possible operational failures at an early stage.
 

Now also with optical status display ...

Identify 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. 

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. 
 

Small but mighty: smart plastics DIY tools

The easiest entry into the world of sensors

In modern industry, sensors have become indispensable as data sources. With smart plastics, we have been consistently going in this direction for almost 10 years and develop new, intelligent monitoring systems for energy supply systems, cables and linear guides every year. Now we want to give even more users access to this and are entering the world of low-cost sensor technology with our smart plastics DIY tools.
 

Intuitive tension monitoring for AG5

Cable tension indicator as smart sensor option

Carrying energy safely over long distances at a cost-effective price - that's the autoglide 5. The autoglide 5 energy chain system is designed especially for horizontal use in material handling and on crane systems. The energy supply system is quick to install as it requires no guide trough. Instead, it runs on a steel cable gripped by the e-chain contour. And that's what this new product, the AG5 smart sensor option, is all about.

Extending service life made easy ...

... with the EC.W wear sensor in the e-chain online configurator

Quick and easy individual solution: with the help of the "e-chain expert", interested users can put together 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.
 

Lean, green ... and smart

Smart technology as standard in many e-chains® News

Digitisation on all travels: whether in the cleanroom, in the theatre or in rotary movements ... the demand for intelligent condition monitoring, safety and longer service life, is increasing. Therefore, this year there are again many new energy supply highlights, which are already equipped as standard with the proven smart plastics technology for intelligent condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. 
 

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 multi-axis 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 with support chain. 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. As a further safeguard to increase plant reliability, the proven i.Sense EC.P can also be mounted on the chain's moving end to monitor push/pull forces.

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%. 

Digitisation on all travel types ...

... 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. 

"Intelligent rebel of automation" ...

... smart plastics now 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.