Bastian Solutions’ ULTRA BLUE robot reaches into a trailer. Source: igus

The crime scene: Distribution center, shift by shift, 24/7.*

The accused: Dust from cardboard boxes, temperature fluctuations, endless load cycles.* Victim: Traditional metal bearings that require regular lubrication. Cause of death — wear, pollution, production shutdown.
Investigator: Bastian Solutions, developer of the ULTRA BLUE robotic truck loading system.* Forensic expert: IGUS company, supplier of high-tech polymers.

EVIDENCE No. 1: A ROBOT THAT KNOWS NO FATIGUE

ULTRA BLUE is a mobile loader robot designed to remove people from the most monotonous and injury—prone area of the warehouse: loading boxes into trailers. He moves autonomously between the docks, lifts the boxes on a telescopic mast and, using a six-axis manipulator, puts them inside the truck with jewel-like precision. Its productivity is more than 1000 boxes per hour. It works around the clock.

Evidence from the scene:

• Temperature fluctuations: It is hot and humid in summer, cold in winter. The grease in conventional bearings either leaked or thickened.
• The Dust Storm: Cardboard boxes are a source of the smallest abrasive particles. The lubricant worked like a magnet: it attracted dust, turning into an abrasive paste that kills bearings.
• Dynamic Strokes: The robot works with boxes of different quality — crumpled, poorly sealed, thin. The loads on the mechanisms are chaotic and high.

Traditional metal assemblies required constant maintenance, replacement, and created risks of conveyor shutdown.

EVIDENCE No. 2: POLYMER TRACE

Investigators from Bastian Solutions invited experts from igus and carried out a complete replacement of evidence. A whole set of high-performance plastic components has been integrated into the ULTRA BLUE design.:

1. Plain bearings — in a lever mechanism powered by a cam drive.
2. Linear guides — to support the same mechanism in the conveyor section.
3. Spherical hinges — connect two rotary conveyor sections.
4. Slewing bearings — in the rear part of the conveyor, the area of the greatest accumulation of dust.

Key evidence: All these components are self—lubricating. Solid lubricants are introduced into plastic at the production stage. Oil is not needed in principle.

VERDICT: ECONOMY, RELIABILITY, SILENCE

The introduction of polymer "evidence" has dramatically changed the fate of ULTRA BLUE:

1. The service life has been doubled for the four-link lever mechanism.
2. The cost of the node is reduced by half compared to its metal counterpart.
3. The expensive duster is no longer needed — the spherical hinge is not afraid of dirt anyway.
4. Downtime for lubrication is excluded — the robot works 24/7, and does not stand waiting for the oil pan.
5. Silence and cleanliness: Plastic guides are quieter than metal ones and do not attract dust with oil stains.

THE VERDICT OF THE EXPERTS

The case of the missing lubricant is solved. The culprit (wear) has been found and neutralized. Now robots in warehouses can work in the harshest conditions without requiring the constant attention of a service team. This is not just a material replacement. This is a transition from "iron that needs to be groomed" to "plastic that just works".

In the future, when entire fleets of such autonomous systems will work in warehouses, the issue of their maintenance will become critical. This is where platforms for remote monitoring and diagnostics, such as , can be in demand. JOBTOROB.com , which will not only distribute tasks, but also monitor the condition of each robot, predicting wear and tear without human intervention. But the foundation of this autonomy is being laid today — in grease-free nodes that have not required care for years.