PBN Manufacturing Awards 2024
EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCT INNOVATION & DESIGN: igus Bearings Inc.
ONE OF THE BENEFITS as a plastics manufacturer that igus Bearings Inc. realized, according to company Robotics Product Manager Jan Hennecke, is the company can make low-cost plastics, and build mobile robotics that are both low cost and are uniquely positioned in the industry.
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Mobile robotic systems are used everywhere, from e-commerce warehouses to restaurants to hospitals to catering businesses. Still, they also tend to be cost-prohibitive, especially for small and midsized companies.
After spending five years testing autonomous mobile robots and automated guided vehicles that could deliver mail and shipments in its offices and move and transport containers in its production centers, igus recently launched its ReBeL on Wheels, a lower-cost automation robotic line with models geared toward the manufacturing, service and educational industries.
“The goal is to pave the way for small and medium-sized enterprises to cost-effective mobile robotics,” said Michael Rielly, head of public relations of the German-based manufacturer with its North American headquarters in East Providence.
The ReBeL on Wheels product line starts at less than $7,000, significantly cheaper than basic robotic models that range between $37,500 to more than $100,000. Thanks to those polymers, igus specializes in starting models weighing just 18 pounds, significantly lighter than many other service robotic systems on the market, and a load capacity of a little less than 4.5 pounds with a reach of more than 2 feet, making it very versatile.
Igus knows its polymers. The company develops and produces all sorts of self-lubricating, high-performance motion plastics such as plastic bearings, cable carriers, flexible cables, and other motion-related products.
These motion plastics are designed to be maintenance-free and resistant to wear and corrosion. Such products are very preferred by those in the packaging, machinery and aerospace industries, and many are used in automation and robotics applications to ensure smooth and consistent movement of cables and hoses.
“It’s very affordable to manufacture, and we make all the mechanical components that make it up, including having lubrication inside the system so the products are maintenance free, meaning businesses don’t have that risk. It’s a huge benefit,” Hennecke said.
While just one of its robotic offerings, the new ReBeL on Wheels product line is setting igus up to be one of the leaders in the automated guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robotics industry. The global market for mobile robotics, including service robotics, currently totals around $20.3 billion, and experts expect this figure to almost double by 2028.
“The initial response has been awesome; it’s really a great starter robot that can get businesses started with automation,” Hennecke said.
Across its departments, igus continues to focus on environmental responsibility. The company reuses 99% of its plastic waste by processing it into granulate material and recycles it back into the production process, as well as continues to research new materials and products to benefit both its clients and the environment.
Growing to meet a business’s needs is what the ReBeL on Wheels line is designed for. For example, a mid-price model at less than $27,000 can transport items up to about 60 pounds between two points.
These models are easy to program, and the company is working on a modular designed model specifically to be used by educational institutions as a learning tool that would allow for the addition of other functions, such as simultaneous localization and mapping algorithms so the robot can create maps of an environment, add camera technology and more. The ReBeL EduMove is based on open-source software, has four hours of battery life and includes a gripper arm. Plus, different components can be added to the models, such as sensors, programming software, and the gripper arm.
Igus also plans to continue creating additional robots and components, including one that just may be able to tidy up on its own or even serve coffee, with applications we likely can’t imagine yet possible in the future, too.
