A total of 38 posts and countless fascinating experiences – join us on a journey through the most inspiring topics from this year.
As we approach the end of 2024, it’s time to look back over the year and recall the experiences and highlights of the past 12 months. In January, we hit the ground running, with a post about robotics – cobots in production continue to be one of the biggest trends in industry. Our visit to an innovative vocational college in Hanover tied in perfectly with this. In this college, there is a large-scale “CobotStreet”, which is made up of modular robot benches and provides the students with a practical introduction to the world of collaborative robotics. We also paid a visit to the SAP Industry 4.0 Pop-Up Factory in Walldorf – an exhibition space covering 500 square metres, where SAP (the third-largest software company in the world) showcases the fascinating possibilities offered by smart factories. All benches and work surfaces, including a cobot work bench, were built using our profile technology. Whether it’s a case of training the next generation of skilled workers or collaboration for the future of production, we are delighted to have supported these fantastic projects.
Connective technology – from civil protection to product photography
Turning a calling into a career – this is exactly what the team at LES GmbH, Lenz Entwicklung und Sonderbau has done. This company has gradually shifted its focus to developing modular solutions for civil protection. By combining its experience in test bench design with its voluntary commitment to the fire service and civil protection, the LES team creates solutions of a high technical standard. A trolley containing firefighting equipment can be safely delivered to remote locations by helicopter, for example, while mobile drinking water and hygiene systems ensure vital supplies of potable water.
Aluminium profiles create the frame and substructure for the Alphashot XL photo system.
Just like LES, ORBITVU also uses the item Building Kit System – but in a completely different sector. Aluminium profiles create the frame and substructure for the Alphashot XL. This mobile photo studio designed by the Polish company offers a time-saving combination of hardware and software. With the Alphashot XL, no special knowledge is needed to produce and edit high-quality photos. In an interview, Marketing Director Adriana Zylla answered our questions about the all-in-one solution.
Ergonomics – a success factor in helping staff learn the ropes and produce high-quality work
Two of our blog posts emphasised the universal importance of ergonomics. The first provided a glimpse into the future of work. A worker assistance system such as the ifm mate is attached to a manual work bench. Thanks to visual instructions displayed on a touchscreen, staff are guided through the work process step by step. A live image shows the bench from above, while artificial intelligence detects errors and stops the instructions automatically. In this way, the ifm electronic GmbH worker assistance system helps staff get to grips with assembly and packaging tasks. The item pluspartner INperfektion offers the system as a complete solution – the INmate with an item work bench. The work bench is flexibly height-adjustable, and add-on options are also available, so it can easily be adapted to suit specific requirements.
There are more than 200 ergonomic work benches over an area of 1000 square metres.
In the medical technology sector, flawless product quality is an absolute must. Our visit to Olympus in Portugal showed how well ergonomics can help achieve this. When fitting out a new building for repair work, this company put its trust in our Work Bench System – and there are now more than 200 ergonomic work benches over an area of 1000 square metres. Each one is perfectly geared to the needs of both the staff and the process in question. Ana Roque from the Logistics department at Olympus told us: “All in all, the new work benches and their functions have helped boost comfort and convenience for us as employees. This has also further improved the quality of our work.”
Official opening and a focus on innovation – the item TechDay in Hamburg
After the first item TechDays last year, item Hamburg opened its doors in September. There were two good reasons for this. The first was the official opening of this site, which boasts some impressive dimensions – a usable area of 3800 square metres in the main building and a plot measuring 16,000 square metres in total. The second reason was to showcase the world of item and the latest new products to visitors on site. These new products included our latest developments in stationary and mobile robotics, our signal technology and the item Suspended Conveyor System. Presentations, interactive exhibits and the chance to talk to our experts directly all proved a valuable source of inspiration for our visitors.
We hope that, once again, you have found the item blog to be informative, entertaining and a source of inspiration. We wish you a merry Christmas and a successful start to 2025! We’ll be taking a break over the festive season, but we’ll be back with new posts for you in the new year, starting on 15 January 2025.
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