igus

igus contact details

Headquarters

Spicher Str. 1a
51147 Cologne
Germany

Telephone +49 2203 9649 0

Email de-info@igus.net

Website igus.co.uk

UK office (igus UK Limited)

Caswell Road
Northampton NN4 7PW
United Kingdom

Telephone +44 1604 677240

Email sales@igus.co.uk

Web igus.co.uk/service/imprint

Show igus headquarters on the map Open in Google Maps →

Contact details as published by igus SE & Co. KG, checked 2026-10-30. Specify Motion is not affiliated with igus SE & Co. KG.

igus product lines

Who igus is

igus is a German manufacturer of polymer motion components, based in Cologne. Its core idea is to replace lubricated metal parts with tribologically optimised plastics. That covers energy chains, plain bearings, linear guides and, increasingly, complete low-cost automation. For motion system designers, the relevant products are the drylin E range of linear axes with matching motors and controllers. The robolink range adds robot arms, cobots and integrated robot joints.

igus’s history page gives 5,662 employees worldwide and turnover of €1.155 billion in 2025. Since 2025 the company has traded as igus SE & Co. KG.

History and ownership

igus was founded on 15 October 1964 by Günter Blase, who had just set up the business with his wife. Its first product, in 1965, was a plastic valve cone for the carburettor maker Pierburg. The first polymer energy chain followed in 1971. The first plain bearing material, iglidur G, was presented in 1983.

Linear motion came next. The first drylin R shaft guide launched in 1993 and the drylin W profile guide in 2003. Subsidiaries followed in the USA (1985) and China (1999). In 2009 igus began developing the robolink low-cost robot arm. In 2011 it started offering drylin E linear axes complete with drives and motors, the step that took it from components into motion systems.

The history page names Frank Blase as company owner in 2021 and Chairman of the Board from 2025, the year the company became igus SE & Co. KG. igus does not publish a parent group.

Motion portfolio

drylin E linear axes

The drylin ZLW toothed belt axis runs on lubrication-free iglidur plain bearings. Sizes run from the compact ZLW-0630 to the ZLW-20200, with up to 5 m/s at 60% duty and strokes up to 3,000 mm, or longer on request. Radial load reaches 3,000 N on the largest size. igus does not quote repeatability. It gives a load-dependent maximum position deviation of ±0.2 to ±0.35 mm instead. That suits format adjustment, light handling and laboratory automation better than precision positioning.

The ZLW sizes also differ widely in mass and belt. The ZLW-0630 Basic weighs 0.38 kg without stroke and uses a neoprene belt with glass fibre. The largest ZLW-20200 weighs 6.2 kg and uses a PU belt with steel cords at 750 N belt tension. igus measures its published figures at maximum permissible load in a horizontal position, so vertical axes need their own check.

The drylin SAW and SLW lead screw modules use trapezoidal or high-helix dryspin threads. They come manual or ready for NEMA 17 to 24 stepper motors, with strokes up to 750 mm in the listed range. igus also offers rack-driven modules, rotary modules and XY tables.

Motors and controllers

The drylin E stepper motors come in NEMA 11 to 34 frames (28 to 86 mm flanges). Options include encoders, brakes and metric connectors, and protection reaches up to IP68. igus also supplies DC motors with planetary gearboxes and EC/BLDC motors. The dryve D1 motor controller drives stepper, DC and EC/BLDC motors. It offers CANopen or Modbus TCP, digital and analogue I/O and set-up through a built-in web server. igus quotes peak currents up to 21 A at 48 V for the D2, which it says is identical to the D1 apart from the housing.

robolink and ReBeL joints

The ReBeL gearbox is an integrated robot joint. It combines a brushless external-rotor motor, a plastic strain-wave gear, an output encoder and a CAN-bus driver board in one housing. Two sizes are listed. Size 80 gives 2.5 Nm maximum at 50:1 and weighs 330 g. Size 105 gives 20 Nm maximum and 15 Nm nominal at 70:1 and weighs 900 g. Both run at an output speed of 10 rpm. The same joints build the ReBeL cobot, which igus lists with 2 kg payload, 664 mm reach and ±1 mm repeatability in its six-axis form.

Technologies and standards

igus’s distinguishing technology is the polymer tribology behind iglidur bearings and drylin guides. These run dry, without lubrication, which suits food, packaging and dusty environments where grease attracts dirt. The trade-off is lower stiffness and accuracy than recirculating-ball axes. It also explains why igus quotes position deviation rather than micron-level repeatability. For applications where accuracy matters, compare against a ball screw axis using our linear actuator sizing guide. Our servo vs stepper guide covers motor choice.

Industries served

Typical uses for drylin E axes are format adjustment, light handling, laboratory equipment and packaging machinery. igus also publishes industry-specific ZLW versions for underwater and frozen applications. robolink and ReBeL target low-cost automation and education.

Global and UK presence

igus UK Limited operates from Caswell Road, Northampton, and publishes 01604 677240 and sales@igus.co.uk. UK engineers can buy directly through igus.co.uk, which combines an online shop with configurators for axes and robots. The Cologne headquarters handles international enquiries on +49 2203 9649-0.

Specify Motion and igus

Specify Motion is independent of igus and is not affiliated with it. We can help source igus drylin axes and drive components, or propose equivalents from our supply network that meet the same published figures, confirmed by an engineer. Use find a replacement with your igus part number, or browse our linear actuators hub.

igus history: key dates

1. 1964Günter Blase founds igus on 15 October
2. 1971First energy chain made of polymers
3. 1983iglidur G, the first plain bearing material, presented
4. 1993First drylin R shaft guide launched
5. 2003drylin W profile guide introduced
6. 2009Development of the low-cost robolink robot arm begins
7. 2011drylin E linear axes offered with drives and motors
8. 2025Company becomes igus SE & Co. KG

igus linear actuators

Rodless belt actuator

drylin ZLW

Lubrication-free toothed belt linear axis with iglidur plain-bearing carriage, sizes 0630 to 20200; series maximum 5 m/s and 3,000 mm stroke (longer on request), up to 3,000 N radial load on the largest size.

Rodless screw actuator

drylin SAW / SLW

Lubrication-free lead screw linear modules with trapezoidal or high-helix dryspin threads, supplied manual or ready for stepper motors (NEMA 17 to 24); strokes up to 750 mm in the listed range.

igus stepper motors

Hybrid stepper motor

drylin E stepper motors

Stepper motors for igus drylin axes in NEMA 11 to 34 (28 to 86 mm flanges), with optional encoder, brake and metric connectors and protection up to IP68.

igus stepper drives

Fieldbus stepper drive

dryve D1 / D2

igus motor controller for stepper, DC and EC/BLDC motors with CANopen or Modbus TCP, digital and analogue I/O and browser-based set-up; the D2 is rated to 21 A peak at 48 V.

igus harmonic actuators

Integrated robot joint actuator

ReBeL gearbox (robolink)

Integrated robot joint combining a brushless external-rotor motor, plastic strain wave gear, output encoder and CAN-bus driver board, in 80 and 105 mm sizes; up to 20 Nm maximum and 15 Nm nominal output torque at 10 rpm.

Frequently asked questions

What is the igus website?

igus runs country websites, including igus.co.uk for the UK and igus.eu and igus.com internationally. They combine an online shop with configurators and technical data for drylin linear axes, motors and controllers, robolink robot parts, energy chains, cables and iglidur bearings.

What is igus's phone number and email in the UK?

The imprint lists igus UK Limited on Caswell Road, Northampton NN4 7PW, with telephone 01604 677240 (+44 1604 677240) and sales@igus.co.uk. The Cologne headquarters is on +49 2203 9649-0 and de-info@igus.net.

Where is igus's headquarters?

igus is headquartered at Spicher Str. 1a, D-51147 Cologne, Germany. The legal entity is igus SE & Co. KG, registered at the District Court of Cologne under HRA 38457, with igus Management SE as personally liable partner.

Who owns igus?

igus was founded in 1964 by Günter Blase with his wife. The company's history names Frank Blase as company owner in 2021 and Chairman of the Board from 2025, when the company became igus SE & Co. KG. igus does not publish a parent group.

Does igus have a UK office?

Yes. igus UK Limited is based on Caswell Road, Northampton, and handles UK sales of the full igus range, including drylin E axes, drive technology and robolink components, by phone, email and the igus.co.uk online shop.

What motion products does igus make?

For motion systems, igus makes drylin E linear modules driven by toothed belt, lead screw or rack, stepper, DC and EC motors, dryve motor controllers and ReBeL robot joints. Its wider range covers energy chains, chainflex cables, iglidur plain bearings and drylin linear guides.

Sources

1. igus UK: Imprint
2. igus UK: History
3. igus: drylin ZLW toothed belt axis technical data
4. igus UK: Linear modules with toothed belt
5. igus UK: Linear modules with lead screw
6. igus UK: Drive technology
7. igus UK: Stepper motors
8. igus UK: Motor control
9. igus UK: ReBeL gearbox system
10. igus UK: ReBeL cobot

Figures are summarised from the sources above and from manufacturers' published data on the date shown. Always confirm against the current datasheet for your exact part.