With the robolink Apiro modular system, low cost automation achieves a new level of modularity.

The pressure of competition on companies is growing locally and globally due to the increasing automation of production processes. By international standards, Korea's automation is eight times higher than the global average. China saw the world's most dynamic development in 2017 and plans to intensify automation by 2020. Germany is in first place in Europe. No reason to rest, because the competition does not sleep. 

To enable cost-effective and individual automation, igus develops low cost automation systems, such as the world's first robolink® Apiro. The name says it all: Apiro is derived from the Greek word for "unlimited". With countless possible combinations of components, individual solutions, from simple linear robots to complex humanoid robots, can be implemented according to your wishes.

When the robolink Apiro modular kit was being developed, the focus was on decoupling the motor and gearbox as well as on the introduction of completely new kinds of worm gears. The result: The path to customised automation solutions becomes extremely simple and short. No more need to search for everything from different manufacturers, because you get electrical and, above all, mechanical components for cost-effective automation at igus. Gearbox with linear motion, inverted and conventional robolink® gearbox in four different sizes are planned and, thanks to the exceptional modularity of the system, can be combined with each other as required.

All worm gears in the Apiro series use high-quality igus® tribo-polymers with dry lubricants that eliminate the need for additional lubricants. The high freedom of movement of the Apiro modular system is made possible by the different types of gearboxes. The simple worm gear is extremely light compared to standard worm gears. With the inverted worm gear, the continuous multifunction profile rotates, making it ideal for robotics and rotary applications. In the gearbox with linear motion, the multifunction profile can be moved linearly through the gearbox or the gearbox moves on the profile.

In the case of the modular robolink Apiro system, the joints are joined together by means of a multi-functional profile made of aluminium. This makes it possible to insert drive shafts through a hollow space in the middle. The multifunction profile of the robolink® Apiro series, for example, allows serial connection of gearboxes. Placing several Apiro joints side by side makes parallel joint connections possible as well.

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