igus acquires Atronia, invests in smart plastics sensors for Industry 4.0 – The Robot Report

The combination of sensing with traipse plastics, which put off the need for lubricants, promises more uncomplicated-to-withhold machinery for Change 4.0. igus, a world leader in traipse plastics and inspiring cable administration systems, last week bought the majority stake in Atronia Tailored Sensing.

“The acquisition of Atronia by igus is a promising partnership that will with out a doubt result in extra step forward improvements and improved abilities integration,” said Carlos Alexandre Ferreira, supervisor at Atronia Tailored Methods.

Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal-primarily primarily based Atronia develops wi-fi merchandise for measuring and monitoring purposes. The firm said it helps product-fashion solutions collectively with innovation, renewables, and sensing.

Since 2016, Atronia has supported igus with orderly plastic sensors. These sensors visual display unit the location of the product, whether it wants to be serviced or replaced, or whether a drawback is occurring. igus said this strategic acquisition is supposed to support lengthen its market choices for for networked plastic system.

Change 4.0 demands mass manufacturing of crucial sensors

Change 4.0 encompasses automation, artificial intelligence, and networking for elevated productiveness, agility, and safety. igus said its honest is to mass-manufacture subsequent-abilities merchandise and fabricate them accessible to minute and midsize firms (SMBs).

For years, igus has invested in study and fashion for tag contemporary forms of orderly plastics. The Rumford, R.I.-primarily primarily based firm‘s traces consist of unsightly bearings, energy chains, and cables that are geared up with sensors and built-in into the Internet of Issues (IoT).

“Lively predictive-repairs application calculates optimum repairs occasions and signals technicians in correct time by strategy of electronic mail and text message within the tournament of crucial prerequisites to prevent costly intention screw ups,” outlined igus. The firm unprejudiced no longer too prolonged within the past received an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winner for a gripper for its ReBeL collaborative robot.

Atronia acquisition segment of igus strategy

“By acquiring Atronia, we are in a position to harmonize the processes, systems, and groups of every firms even better, which may lead to synergies and efficiency features within the prolonged term,” said Michael Blass, CEO of e-chain Methods at igus. “This permits us to initiate sequence manufacturing for the Change 4.0 abilities and fabricate the merchandise accessible to minute and medium-sized firms with restricted budgets and exiguous abilities.”

The collaboration between igus and Atronia resulted within the iSense EC.W sensor. Mounted on energy chain crossbars, it records the chain’s assert and closing provider life.

Customers maintain given sure feedback in regards to the sensor’s rate-effectiveness and intuitive assign, said Atronia and igus. The partnership plans to collectively construct more merchandise within the ruin.