We appreciate your plain bearing projects!

Have you rethought your approach to plain bearings? Have you replaced classic lubricated metal bearings with lubrication-free plastic bearings, linear plain bearings or spherical bearings? Excellent! This sustainability transformation is your ticket to the manus® award 2025. The competition is one of a kind across the globe and has been awarding prizes for creative applications of polymer plain bearings since 2003. We offer you a platform for your project and worldwide attention. In addition, we will award prize money of up to €5,000.

What are we looking for?

We talk to engineers every day and often hear that the pressure is constantly increasing. It’s not just about cost efficiency, but also about continuously improving the CO₂ balance of products, for example, by dispensing with lubricants. In a recent study with RWTH Aachen University, we were able to prove for the first time how plastic bearings tackle both challenges successfully. That is why, as part of the 12th manus® award, we are especially interested in finding out how the use of these bearings affects your company.

•  What technical problems were you able to solve by using plastic bearings?
•  How did polymer bearings improve the sustainability of your application?
•  What effects will the change have on costs?

2023 manus award winners

Gold manus 2023: Coulter

To deliver liquid nitrogen fertiliser to the field, US-based J&M Manufacturing develops what it calls a para-linkage coulter. To keep the coulter maintenance-free and, even more importantly, to prevent lubricants from getting into the soil, J&M Manufacturing uses iglidur plain bearings.

Learn more about the gold manus winner >

Silver manus 2023: High-pressure cleaner with exoskeleton

People who work with high-pressure cleaners in industry know the problem: the devices are often so heavy that back pain is inevitable. Aufratech provides relief. The French company has developed EXO N, an exoskeleton for high-pressure cleaning tool users. The device uses iglidur plain bearings and drylin linear technology.

Learn more about the silver manus winner >

Bronze manus 2023: High-pressure cleaner for municipal vehicles

Fiedler Maschinenbau und Technikvertrieb GmbH makes high-pressure cleaners for municipal vehicles that clean dirty streets, walkways and squares. It uses side nozzles, a middle section and electronically switchable high-pressure underfloor nozzles with high water pressure. What makes it special is that the high-pressure cleaner’s working area can be changed at the touch of a button. To achieve this, Fiedler uses drylin linear technology.

Learn more about the bronze manus winner >

Green manus 2023: Trailer ball coupling without lubrication

No more lubricating: for balers, loader wagons, manure spreaders, tippers and field sprayers, ROCKINGER Agriculture GmbH develops a ball coupling called KS80 using a high-performance plastic from the iglidur series that igus developed specifically for the company. The coupling consists of a coupling ball and claw installed in the height adjustment system.

Learn more about the green manus winner >

Prize money, publicity and marketing support await

Since 2003, the manus® award has become an event of international interest. The competition therefore offers a big stage on which you can present the innovative power of your company to the industry. Much like the Olympics, you will compete with colleagues from all over the world for a place on the gold, silver, bronze and green winners’ podiums.

All winners will also receive a free marketing package worth over €10,000. The in-house igus® agency produces a user report in an industry medium (DACH and international) and professional video material of the application.

Worldwide joint initiative

“manus®”, the name of the international competition, is Latin for “hand”. The hand symbolises the drive to blaze new trails in bearing technology with triboplastics. The joint initiative from igus® GmbH, Deutsche Messe, Werkzeugbau Akademie, Industrieanzeiger, WTWH Media, Krones AG and Cologne University of Applied Sciences invites all developers and designers to take part.

We look forward to your entry!

Conditions of participation

The manus® competition for plastic bearing applications will have an independent panel of judges composed of professionals from the fields of research, trade press and manufacturing. The judges are looking for courage and creativity, which will result in high ratings. Therefore make it clear why using plastic bearings for your application was imaginative and useful from a technical and cost perspective. All applications with plain bearings, linear plain bearings and spherical bearings made of solid plastic or plastic compounds are allowed. However, applications with plain bearings that are only coated with plastic are not permitted as not all of the plastic’s specifications are dominant in such a case. Ideas that are only concepts can also not
be considered. There must be at least one functional version of the device to demonstrate the technical benefits and advantages of plastic bearings.