The creation of the first energy chain made of plastic is symptomatic of igus GmbH: it was developed because Günter Blase listened carefully to the textile manufacturer Schlafhorst. Schlafhorst was looking for a new concept for his textile machines in order to protect cables on long travels in his rough factory environment. igus was already manufacturing plain bearings made of high-quality plastic successfully. The so-called series 20 was then created in conjunction with the mechanical engineer. An automation milestone.

igus at a glance
 
Year of foundation
1964
 
Turnover
EUR 764 million
 
Employees (worldwide)
4,150
 
Investment in R+D & digitisation
EUR 51.7 million
 
Products
More than 234,000 items from stock:
energy chains, cables, plain bearings, linear technology, bar stock, 3D printing and Low Cost Automation
 
Subsidiaries
35
 
Patents
1,422 patents and 238 registered designs
 
igus customers
More than 200,000 worldwide from 50 branches of industry
 
Largest test laboratory
3,800m2
More than 15,000 tests performed annually

Source: Igus Gmbh