2023 smart plastics News

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 novelty, 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, and thus increased 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.