The IGUS virtual reality platform, iguverse, has won two categories of the prestigious international Red Dot Award for communication design: "Virtual Reality Installations" and "Exhibition Design Elements." The award recognises the efforts of igus to give SMEs easy access to new 3D technologies, supporting their global competitiveness.
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Enhancing Access to 3D Technologies
Iguverse lets customers design and test concepts faster, more efficiently and sustainably, in a virtual space, without having to spend their own development resources. They also save costs: For example, companies can create digital exhibits instead of investing in expensive exhibition stands. igus is using the award as a benchmark to develop more features of the iguverse.
The Rise of Virtual Reality in Product Design
Put on VR glasses, pick up a controller and immerse yourself in a 3D world as an avatar – this is now becoming normal. More and more companies are using Virtual Reality (VR) to break ground in product design, planning, training, and marketing. The VR and AR (augmented reality) market in the UK is projected to reach a value of £750m ($1.48bn) in 2024. It is expected to have average annual growth of 9.27% between 2024 and 2029.
"In this current phase, it is essential to help small and medium-sized companies, SMEs, that have limited budgets and experience so that they do not miss the boat with this key future technology," says Matthew Aldridge, Managing Director at igus UK.
Collaboration with RAUM to Develop IGUS Virtual Reality Platform
igus, with start-up company RAUM, who built the VR platform, jointly developed the iguverse as a digital platform for easy entry into VR. It is specifically intended to help SMEs visualise and design products faster, more efficiently and sustainably – a virtual product has no material waste in development. Even users with no prior technical knowledge can easily get started. igus is available to help users with one of the most complex hurdles to date: building digital twins of products for the virtual space.
Alio's Air Bearing Technology
Air bearings are a crucial component in ultra-precise motion control systems, offering frictionless operation by suspending components on a thin film of air. This eliminates mechanical contact, reducing wear and vibration while achieving unparalleled accuracy and smooth motion. They are essential in industries like semiconductor manufacturing, metrology, and photonics, where even minute inaccuracies can lead to significant issues.
ALIO's air bearing stages, such as their planar XY, linear X, and rotational air bearing systems, are designed to deliver exceptional precision and repeatability, down to nanometre-level accuracy. These systems are built to handle demanding applications, offering high payload capacities, smooth motion over long travel distances, and high-speed capabilities without compromising precision.
Bill Hennessey, President of ALIO Industries, says, “One of ALIO's standout offerings is the Planar XY Air Bearing Stage, which achieves sub-micron accuracy and bi-directional repeatability of +/- 100nm. This stage is ideal for applications requiring ultra-precise positioning, such as semiconductor inspection and metrology. The use of a granite base ensures minimal thermal expansion and maximum stability, essential for maintaining high precision over extended periods and varying environmental conditions.”
ALIO’s Nano Z stages use dual voice coil motors and air bearings to overcome limitations in vertical motion, providing exceptional stability and accuracy in the Z-axis. This design is particularly beneficial in applications like wafer inspection and photonics, where vertical precision is critical.
Zubax Releases FluxGrip FG40
A great number of civilian and defence applications require a reliable way of attaching a payload to the vehicle. These include scenarios such as quickly switching between modular cameras for day and night vision, securely handling payloads for precision strikes, or carrying items in the rapidly growing field of drone delivery. Current solutions rely on electromechanical locks which tend to be complex, fragile, and expensive: a typical model will contain dozens of fine moving parts.
FluxGrip FG40 is a strong electropermanent magnet that is entirely solid-state, without any moving parts in its construction. Thus, it removes common failure points associated with mechanical systems caused by vibration, wear, and material fatigue and reduces maintenance costs. The device is fully sealed with a heavy-duty polymer that provides outstanding mechanical strength and resilience to adverse environments, including seawater, commonly occurring salts and acids, vibration, extreme temperatures, and dust.
FG40 consumes zero power in a steady state — energy is only required to transition between the on-state (payload is attached) and the off-state (payload is released); this makes FG40 robust against power brownouts. In fact, the power supply can be cut completely to conserve energy, even though the idle power consumption is minuscule.
FG40 weighs only 70 grams and holds up to 250 newtons (25 kilogram-forces), carrying over 350 times its own weight. This is comparable to ordinary electromechanical solutions with none of their disadvantages. Further, multiple FG40s can operate in lockstep side-by-side, increasing the total holding force or providing redundancy for safety-critical systems.
FG40 is a high-quality product engineered with uncompromising attention to quality in both software and hardware. It is built with AEC-Q-qualified components that meet the stringent safety and reliability standards of the automotive industry. Each manufactured unit undergoes a rigorous automatic testing procedure. Traceability reports are available for customers seeking functional safety certification.
New Materials for Metal AM by Renishaw
To help broaden additive manufacturing (AM) adoption across various industrial applications, global engineering technologies company, Renishaw, has expanded the number of processable materials for its RenAM 500 series of metal AM systems. The new materials added include commercially pure copper, H13 tool steel, Hastelloy® X alloy, super-duplex stainless steel, and AlSi7Mg aluminium alloy. These specialist materials provide manufacturers with the ability to create new parts for a wide range of applications.
Renishaw is releasing these five material data sheets for its laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) systems to support the ever-changing needs of its customers. The AM system manufacturer worked directly with customers to develop process parameters for new alloys to open up innovative applications.
Renishaw has also added new powder layer thicknesses to its current processable materials. These include 90 μm titanium grade 23, 70 μm stainless steel 316L, and 120 μm Inconel 718 parameters that achieve exceptional material build rates.
For the first time, the material data sheets include results of Plastometrex’s proprietary PIP (Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry) testing. By facilitating rapid, direct testing on different sections of AM parts, this method provides a more precise and efficient evaluation of a part's mechanical properties and complements Renishaw’s existing testing procedures.
The IGUS virtual reality platform iguverse continues to evolve, with advancements in various technologies supporting efficient and sustainable development processes.
