The 'enjoyneering' experience

WHEN GUNTER Blase first started igus in 1964 his proposition to the market was “Give me your problem and I will solve it”, and while the technologies might have developed, the ethos still rings true. Now the market leader in engineering motion plastics, igus continues to be an innovator and a problem solver.

In the UK, igus is headquartered in Northampton, and the facility has recently undergone something of a transformation to provide what the company refers to as the 'enjoyneering' experience. Speaking at the official launch of the concept, managing director Matthew Aldridge explained that is the start of an ongoing campaign to create a physical space where customers can see firsthand how igus motion plastics can save both time and money in the machines they build or use.

Virtual reality

And it's not just the physical space that can be experienced here; there's also the opportunity for visitors to try out the 'iguverse', a virtual space where engineers, material experts and project planners can meet and build 3D models of new machines, systems and assemblies on a 1:1 scale. Using the iguverse, products can be developed faster, more sustainably and more reliably, at a lower cost; problems can be ironed out at an early stage.

A highlight of enjoyneering experience is a new showroom-style display that allows visitors to interact with the latest motion plastics products, either in real life or via a webcam. Inspired by the success of igus exhibition stands and a permanent 'igus motion plastic show' that has been set up at at igus's Cologne headquarters, the office has been transformed into a bustling hub featuring solutions for hundreds of industries and applications.

With hundreds of new product launches each year, the range of solutions available from igus is, as Aldridge pointed out at the event, mind-boggling.

"We can't expect our engineering customers to know about everything that we do, so we are coming up with all kinds of tools to help with that," he said. "We call it enjoyneering, when we try and make things easy for our customers with things like online configurators. We try to be economic; igus parts always save some money and we always try and be sustainable as well."

Zero lubrication

The sustainability message was further emphasised by the introduction of the 'Go Zero Lubrication' initiative, underscoring the company’s commitment to sustainability. This initiative aligns with igus' broader efforts to achieve zero waste, reduce carbon emissions, and increase the use of recyclable materials wherever possible.

Adding to the general entertainment, anyone who visits the enjoyneering experience in Northampton can get up close and personal with the igus bike – known as 'RCYL' – which is made predominantly from recycled ocean plastic.

RCYL was designed to tackle the issue of millions of bikes ending up in landfills after rusting beyond repair. With its lubrication-free and maintenance-free design, it offers a sustainable, long-lasting alternative to traditional metal-framed bicycles, exemplifying the potential high-performance plastic has to revolutionise industries.

"We want to show people the igus bike, we want people to ride the igus bike and experience it so we can explain what we are trying to do with this demonstration of motion plastics," said Aldrige.

If you fancy having a go on the igus bike – which is highly recommended, by the way – or indeed would just like to experience the igus enjoyneeering concept for yourself, contact the company to arrange a visit.

www.igus.co.uk