High-performance techno-polymers for any type of movement

Igus motion plastics’ offer includes also a series of interesting solutions to the requirements of the food, beverage and pharma markets, without forgetting sustainability.

We talked about this with Matteo Zaniboni, Central/South Italy Area Manager and specialist in the Packaging sector and Marie Olyve, Marketing manager.

«Igus is very oriented towards food and pharma packaging - Zaniboni begins – sectors in which the use of plastic is essential. We process high-performance polymers with excellent friction and wear resistance properties. Among new developments there are as many as 7 materials approved for food use, including bars, plates, tape materials for gluing and powder for the coating of metal surfaces.

In addition, specifically for pharma, there is the range of cogwheels with dimensions from 3 to 200 mm, on which we constantly carry out research to make them suitable for environments in which there is extensive use of sanitizers and sanitizing products. Cable drag chains and guides predisposed for the clean room, without lubrication and very silent as they are without balls or metal systems, and therefore ideal for the pharmaceutical and hospital sectors, also belong to this category. »

Igus, a long-standing member of the EHEDG association, has developed the first system of linear guides based on Hygienic Design principles. The use of materials complying with the FDA regulations, such as, for example, the iglidur A160 high-performance polymer, high alloy stainless steel, the self-draining structure and the washable interior of the trolley guarantee compliance with the hygienic design standards.

«We have launched a guide that can be cleaned without dismantling- Zaniboni continues - with an innovative trolley specially designed for food. Besides the material in itself, in fact, the hygienic design of components is important. The slide made of iglidur A160 material is self-draining: it facilitates cleaning operations, allowing the liquids and detergents to drain away freely. It’s an absolutely new development for the linear technologies market. So far, most hygienic design solutions have been based on completely closed units»

adds Zaniboni. «Hygienic Designs principles have been applied, for example, also to TH3 cable drag chains, made in FDA-approved material».

igus has an internal laboratory where to test the solutions, guiding, therefore, the development of new products and generating at the same time a large amount of data that channels into the configurators, online tools that allow customers’ technical offices to deal with operating parameters and have control over the application at various levels, from the design phase to preventive maintenance.

«Looking at sustainability - concludes Olyve - igus has always optimised resources, undertaking a series of initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, which include - besides the complete recovery of production waste - also the constant updating of the company’s machinery, like the recent replacement of 400 injection moulding machines. In addition, there is the development of a range of “ECO” products made of re-granulated material, such as cylindrical and flanged bearings or ball bearings. Finally, thanks to the Chainge programme, igus or competitor cable drag chains are withdrawn at the end of their life-cycle for subsequent separation of all their constituent parts and their recycling and reuse.»