igus acquires Atronia, invests in smart plastics sensors for Industry 4.0

The combination of sensing with motion plastics, which eliminate the need for lubricants, promises easier-to-maintain machinery for Industry 4.0. igus, a global leader in motion plastics and moving cable management systems, last week acquired the majority stake in Atronia Tailored Sensing.

“The acquisition of Atronia by igus is a promising partnership that will undoubtedly lead to further breakthrough innovations and improved technology integration,” stated Carlos Alexandre Ferreira, manager at Atronia Tailored Systems. 

Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal-based Atronia develops wireless products for measuring and monitoring applications. The company said it supports product-development strategies including innovation, renewables, and sensing.

Since 2016, Atronia has supported igus with smart plastic sensors. These sensors monitor the condition of the product, whether it needs to be serviced or replaced, or whether a problem is occurring. igus said this strategic acquisition is intended to help expand its market offerings for for networked plastic components.

Industry 4.0 demands mass production of critical sensors

Industry 4.0 encompasses automation, artificial intelligence, and networking for greater productivity, agility, and safety. igus said its goal is to mass-produce next-generation products and make them accessible to small and midsize businesses (SMBs).

For years, igus has invested in research and development for new types of smart plastics. The Rumford, R.I.-based company‘s lines include plain bearings, energy chains, and cables that are equipped with sensors and integrated into the Internet of Things (IoT).

“Intelligent predictive-maintenance software calculates optimum maintenance times and alerts technicians in good time via e-mail and text message in the event of critical conditions to prevent expensive system failures,” explained igus. The company recently won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winner for a gripper for its ReBeL collaborative robot.

Atronia acquisition part of igus strategy

“By acquiring Atronia, we can harmonize the processes, systems, and teams of both companies even better, which will lead to synergies and efficiency gains in the long term,” said Michael Blass, CEO of e-chain Systems at igus. “This allows us to start series manufacturing for the Industry 4.0 era and make the products accessible to small and medium-sized companies with limited budgets and little experience.”

The collaboration between igus and Atronia resulted in the iSense EC.W sensor. Mounted on energy chain crossbars, it records the chain’s state and remaining service life.

Customers have given positive feedback about the sensor’s cost-effectiveness and intuitive design, said Atronia and igus. The partnership plans to jointly create more products in the future.