Beyond the Bot at Automate 2025: IGUS, RBTX, and the Future of Affordable Automation

In this episode of Beyond the Bot, Tony speaks with Jacob from IGUS at Automate 2025. They explore how IGUS, traditionally known for plastic components, is revolutionizing the automation space with scalable, low-cost solutions and platforms like RBTX and Axis. From the challenges facing small-to-midsize businesses to the myth of the skills gap in manufacturing, Jacob offers an unfiltered view of where the industry is headed. For anyone exploring automation—whether you're just getting started or looking to optimize—this conversation delivers insight, inspiration, and actionable advice.

---

Transcript:

Tony: Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of Beyond the Bot, where we bring you the latest in AI and robotics and how it can benefit your business. I'm Tony, and I'm here today—not in the Blue Sky Lab—but out at Automate 2025, where we're catching up with some of the most exciting folks in the industry to see what they have to offer. I'm joined now by Jacob from IGUS. Jacob, thank you so much for joining me.

Jacob: Yeah, this is fun!

Tony: So Jacob, before we dive into some of the nitty-gritty, can you tell me a little bit of the background of what IGUS is? I hear you guys are a plastics company, but I see a whole lot of robots around me.

Jacob: Yeah, hey, it's how we're advancing ourselves and advancing this industry. So yes, people do know IGUS as a plastics component manufacturer. We literally started all because our owner would go around to businesses in Germany asking, "Give me your toughest challenges." A company eventually did—it was an automotive customer—and he ended up designing this mushroom-shaped bearing. That bearing was the first thing IGUS ever invented. From there, we now have 18 different business units, each with their own subcategories.

Just on the bearing side, we have 64 "flavors" of plastic that we manufacture in Germany—but that’s just the start. We have plastics for different temperatures, tensile strengths, pressures... We also moved into the flexible cable industry and cable management—that's where we're known for the black e-chain, the kind you see moving on a seventh axis or triplex robot. That black cabling? That’s us.

Tony: And now, as you're seeing, because we know where this industry is heading, we got into automation. We at Blue Sky Robotics use your seventh axis linear rail on a daily basis. You've been a great partner. Can you tell me a little bit about RBTX and what that service offering is?

Jacob: Yeah. RBTX is basically our automation marketplace. It came out of our LCA unit—Low Cost Automation. We started designing the Rebel, a gantry, and a delta robot using our components, to help people get started in automation. Because if people can't start, they can't grow.

The purple in the RBTX brand came in when we saw that some customers needed solutions our robots couldn’t fulfill. That’s just fact. So, we started distributing other people's robots and products too, to still deliver a complete solution. We now have 500 different solutions under $18K, all visible on our website. You can watch customer videos, see exactly what products were used, and view transparent pricing.

Tony: You guys power a lot of different solutions across many industries. What are some barriers to adoption you're seeing in the marketplace?

Jacob: Many of our customers are under that $200,000 project benchmark. A lot of integrators won’t touch projects under 200K because of overhead. So, we focus on small to midsize businesses. One major barrier is the knowledge gap. These customers may not know much about automation—they just know they need it, or someone told them they need it.

You're also dealing with legacy decisions—people who've used the wrong tech for 10-15 years. And you’ve got to carefully navigate that, helping them realize what’s actually right for their application without overselling them the latest widget just because it’s new. It's about delivering the right solution.

Tony: It strikes me that there’s a dual knowledge gap: what’s possible, and how to execute. For folks who are curious about automation but not robotics experts, how do they find the right integration partner—an "automation ally," so to speak?

Jacob: Focus on companies that develop resources beyond just selling their own products. If you're going all-in with one manufacturer, then study everything they offer. But if a company is sharing broad industry knowledge and resources, even if you never buy from them, that shows they care about growing the industry—not just their sales.

Tony: What trends are you seeing in automation more broadly, or in specific industries?

Jacob: The cobot world just got a big shake-up. Previously, robots were labeled safe or collaborative based on certain features. Now, a robot isn’t safe unless the cell is safe. That’s huge. Many companies leaned hard into branding as "cobot" manufacturers, but it’s always been about making the entire system safe for the customer.

Tony: How has reshoring affected IGUS?

Jacob: Huge impact. Six months ago, we unveiled 100 injection molding machines in Rhode Island—up from zero. We had no manufacturing in the U.S. before. Now, we can produce bearings, e-chains, cable management systems right here. We’re also moving our Dryspin tech to the States. This is maybe phase three of our long-term plan to grow U.S. manufacturing.

Tony: That’s just what you’re doing. But it also helps your customers who are reshoring and need automation to support that.

Jacob: Exactly.

Tony: With all this change—especially in AI and robotics—how is IGUS helping folks get educated and started?

Jacob: We just launched the Axis Community, a collaborative automation hub. I want to provide more than products—I want to help people grow their careers and businesses. We've been developing Axis for six months and just launched it with partners like Kawasaki, Item, and Flex Line Automation.

Axis is the place to go before you hit Google. It includes the RBTX Academy—not just focused on IGUS. It's filled with partner content, business know-how, and industry basics. Like, what's an end-of-arm tool? What's a delta vs. gantry robot? These aren’t common knowledge yet. We’ve got 16 videos up now, a 24/7 chat, incentive programs, even training trips to Rhode Island. It’s like the best of Reddit, LinkedIn, and YouTube, all in one.

Tony: How do folks get signed up?

Jacob: Just go to axis-community.com. The homepage is public, and it’s all free. Once you make an account, you get full access. There are three phases: 1) everything free; 2) paid courses if you want deeper content; and 3) in-person trainings, which obviously cost more.

Tony: Amazing. Two last questions. First—among all these robots around us, what’s the one thing in this display that you're most excited about?

Jacob: I’m loving our cobot bench, especially the Dobot. It’s got capacitive sensing. Most cobots have to touch you to stop. This one senses your hand from a distance and halts. That’s next-level safety.

Tony: Last one: what’s a myth in automation you’d like to debunk?

Jacob: The skills gap. I hate hearing about it. People say students don’t care about manufacturing—but I’ve been involved in FIRST Robotics for seven years, traveling to schools across the U.S. These kids do care. They do want this. The real issue is businesses aren’t paying attention to the talent in their own communities. If you’re not investing in them, they’ll go elsewhere—tech, startups, you name it. They’re ready. We just need to show up.

Tony: Jacob, we really appreciate your time. Thank you for all the work you and IGUS are doing. Looking forward to catching up again soon.

Jacob: Thanks, man!