Mr. Carsten Haeckerm - Head of Asia Pacific, Igus

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1. What innovative alternative energy sources are used in manufacturing?

Today, alternative energy usage in manufacturing is still rather limited. A standard answer is not possible as a lot of development depends on country by country policies, subsidies and green energy drive from a political prospective. You may see selected solar panels, aim for carbon neutral food prints etc, however to ensure a sustainable energy future, use of renewable energy sources and technologies needs to be scaled up not only for electricity generation but also in the end-use sectors of buildings, transportation and the industrial usage itself.  Renewables could grow to around 30% of total final energy consumption for global manufacturing by 2030, assuming the availability of low-cost and sustainable biomass sources as well as reduced capital costs for emerging technologies.

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2. ‘Green, fast, saves’ This is your promise to the Industry when your team offers to work with them all the way from their designing groundwork. Which industry so far that your team has worked to make the most shift to green energy?

‘Green, fast, saves’ This is your promise to the Industry when your team offers to work with them all the way from their designing groundwork. Which industry so far that your team has worked to make the most shift to green energy? Literally any industry which requires solutions for moving energy are potentials and have joined our journey for a greener and better future. The igus bearing products range does not require any lubrication as solid lubricants are build into the product composition. This means that we not only save maintenance work and downtime for our customers but as well a lot of lubrication and grease which otherwise would potentially end up in our environment. Literally any industry which requires solutions for moving energy are potentials and have joined our journey for a greener and better future.

The igus bearing products range does not require any lubrication as solid lubricants are build into the product composition. This means that we not only save maintenance work and downtime for our customers but as well a lot of lubrication and grease which otherwise would potentially end up in our environment. Another important point to note is that tribologically engineered igus motion plastics are lightweight compared to metal bearings. This is a significant advantage in particular in the e-vehicle and aerospace industries where weight saving is a key driver of the design work.

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3. Which type of energy do you think should be developed in the future?

This question of course depends a lot on the region we are looking at. If I answer this question from an ASEAN viewpoint, i personally would favor a lot the solar energy. Easy to install, mature and a proven technology. As the region is blessed with a lot of nature light and sun, installing solar panels on each industrial building or roof tops of buildings shouldn't be too complex and difficult. I would still however point back to the point of energy saving rather to develop a new technology. If each individual would start to assess how he/ she could save energy on a daily basis we would have a huge lever for a green future. This question of course depends a lot on the region we are looking at. If I answer this question from an ASEAN viewpoint, I personally would favor a lot the solar energy. Easy to install, mature and a proven technology. If each individual would start to assess how he/ she could save energy on a daily basis we would have a huge lever for a green future.

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4. It is a big investment to switch to Renewable Energy ? Which part of our life/ industry should start with this shift first? It is a big investment to switch to Renewable Energy ? Which part of our life/ industry should start with this shift first?

Any switch, any change to possibly alternative energy will require funding, regardless of the scale. The return on investment might not come immediate but from companies prospective it is also the social and economic responsibility which needs to be taken into consideration. It starts as I indicated before with each individual human being, no matter if within the private household or the company environment. On contrary, relying on the traditional energy sources such as oil and gas is not sustainable as we all know in the long run, so switching and starting renewable energy discussions is not a choice but a destination.

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5. There are many sources of renewable energies, from wind, solar, biomass to tidal, which energy is the most sustainable in terms of quality and cost efficiency for a country like Singapore?

There are many sources of renewable energies, from wind, solar, biomass to tidal, which energy is the most sustainable in terms of quality and cost efficiency for a country like Singapore? With almost 12 hours of sun every day, I strongly see the solar industry as a vast possible option. Alternative wind generation offshore could be a consideration as well.

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6. Igus is the first few manufacturers that started and strongly promoted the trend of i4.0 smart plastics, which industry so far has adopted this technology? Please share some success stories.

Igus is the first few manufacturers that started and strongly promoted the trend of i4.0 smart plastics, which industry so far has adopted this technology? Please share some success stories. The igus® isense family consists of various intelligent sensors and monitoring modules. They measure wear during operation and alert the user in advance to schedule repairs and replacements. The igus® communication module (icom) makes seamless integration into your IT infrastructure possible. This allows scenarios like continuous monitoring or automated triggering of in-house maintenance.

An optional connection with the igus® data center increases your options: individual lifetime optimization and faster operational processes like automated scheduling of external maintenance crews or ordering of spare parts. Thanks to smart plastics your equipment runs continuously and maintenance costs are reduced. Improved safety is an additional benefit. Since our market launch we have seen numerous implemented solution across many industries. E.g. an automotive parts supplier uses smart plastics from igus for its indoor gantry cranes, which automatically handle engine blocks; a large gantry builder decided to implement igus smart plastics sensors into the energy supply system as a standard, enabling the client condition monitoring system remotely with data 24 hours just to mention a view.

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7. Any new technology coming up from Igus?

igus continues to develop new solutions and products every year and we have not stopped as well in 2020. Tech up, cost down: we will always give you at least one of the two. That is our profession and what we have offered you for many years. To improve our customers’ machines and make them more cost-effective, we have worked hard and presented over 120 innovations this autumn. To name a view... Cable reel without slip ring in 4 configuration levels, Intelligent wear parts from the 3D printer, Gears with twice the service life compared to the POM standard, Predictive maintenance: central unit for communication with LoRa sensors, Split stainless steel housing for quick bearing change and many more.

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8. What is the impact of this pandemic to Igus?

Like many other industrial companies, we felt the impact particular in the first 6 month of the year with reduction in revenue and order entry. However due to our diverse product range for various industries, we managed to compensate a fair share with focused support of industries. Industries which require our support in these difficult times such as the medical industry. Fast supply, global availability of our products and our online shops for igus motion plastic products across the globe supported our customer base seamlessly. On a positive note, igus has quickly reacted on the developing and changing situation. Within days we had 50 % of our global workforce in the home office, connected with smart software solutions which allowed our customer to get in contact with igus without any delay. Our top priorities were to keep the supply undisrupted and our employees healthy - both tasks were and are managed successfully globally.

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9. Please share with us, 2 very notable events for you and your team during this pandemic

The most notable development was our online drive. We enabled within this year, > 60 global igus webshops with instant product information, stock information and instant price displays. Our customers can completely configure their requirements within our > 50 online tools, put the products into the basked, check out with credit card payments and get the products delivered the next day. The Amazon of industrial engineering is taking shape.

The other notable event is our completely digital industrial exhibition booth within the igus Cologne premises. We show cast all the news which we would normally present during the HMI show in Hannover which for obvious reasons did not take place this year. Our customer can 'dive' into the exhibition themselves or book an appointment directly with the local igus team, hosted by our German experts on the Cologne booth. A truly and very unique digital experience. Make a trip and you will be convinced.

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10. Last question, which country in Asia is fast adopting renewable energy?

All countries are working on solutions and invest into technology which are suitable for their situation. We see a lot of new solar parks coming up for instance in China as demand for our products is increasing. We supply here customized solutions for solar trackers.

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Find more at https://www.igus.sg/

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