94,000 calls to the Poisons Information Center every year in connection with chemical burns and poisoning of children in the home show that cleaning agents pose a danger in family households. To prevent these accidents, seven students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at TU Darmstadt have developed the EMKindersicherung. The device enables personalized access to household chemicals via a smartphone app. The idea and implementation of the project not only impressed the young engineers support (yes) of Igus, which promotes innovative technical projects by students, but also the jury of the Cosima Competition 2017. The student competition in the field of microsystems technology honors applications that improve the interaction between people and technology in everyday life. The Darmstadt team secured 2nd place with its child safety lock.

Iglidur plain bearings for secure access

The students' child safety lock is largely 3D-printed and consists of a housing that is placed over the lid of the cleaning agent bottle and grips under the plastic ring of the bottle with a cover. The cover can be moved manually using a lever and the device can be secured. An electrothermal actuator serves as the closing mechanism. When energized, it heats up and deforms so that the safety catch opens and can be removed from the bottle. The actuator is attached to a pin. When the lever is turned, the pin, which is supported by an Iglidur plain bearing, engages and prevents unauthorized opening.

"We approached the young engineers support team at Igus with our project because we were looking for a bearing that had a low coefficient of friction and was resistant to acids, alcohol and bases," explains Ida Blum from the EMKindersicherung development team. "In addition, the bearing must be able to withstand temperatures of up to 125 degrees Celsius due to the heating of the actuator. That's why we chose Iglidur A350." The material of the plain bearing is UV-resistant and is also suitable for use in medical technology and in the food and packaging industry.

Igus promotes innovative projects such as the EM child safety lock as part of the young engineers support program. The initiative supports young pupils, students and inventors in the development and implementation of their technical projects. as