Robotics is booming and human-machine cooperation has long been more than just a buzzword. How are you responding to this development?
Human-machine cooperation is indeed a major topic, even if it is only one side of the coin. In the industrial environment in particular, low-cost robotics is first and foremost about the particularly inexpensive automation of simple tasks. Service robotics, however, requires a different approach that includes human-machine cooperation. To achieve this, we have to approach Robolink in a completely different, completely new way. With BLDC motors, Igus shaft gearboxes, integrated electronics - a concept that we are now showing at the Hannover Messe. At the same time, this approach also differs from other products on the market. Thanks to the Igus tribo-plastics, the articulated arms are not only particularly light, but also lubricant- and maintenance-free. Thanks to injection molding, they can also be produced more cheaply in mass production. This also makes them interesting for use in industrial environments.

The plastic energy supply systems from Igus are present in many areas of industrial production. What are your plans for further growth in this area?
Continuous further development and testing in the 2,750 square meter Igus test laboratory always give us the opportunity to venture into completely new areas. The potential of tribo-plastics is enormous in many areas. One example is the use of the smallest e-chains in cars or large e-spools in stage houses. And where steel chains have previously been used, plastic e-chains are becoming increasingly popular, for example in the offshore sector. However, not only metal chains, but also other forms of energy supply are increasingly being replaced by energy chain systems - be it festoons, cable drums or conductor rails. We offer our customers an all-round service, from a unique online configuration and service life calculation of the individual e-chain and cable to the worldwide assembly of turnkey energy chain systems.