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11th competition for exceptional plastic bearing applications

Participate now and win €5,000!

Millions of plastic machine parts are used in devices, appliances and engines. Still, hardly any other part is as underrated in mechanical engineering as the plastic plain bearing. To demonstrate the potential of polymer bearing technology for innovative systems, the manus® competition is honouring unique products with plain bearings again this year.

What are we looking for?
The industrial applications of plastic plain bearings that are sought after stand out due to their technical, economic and ecological efficiency or the developer's creativity. The focus lies on the technical superiority of plastic in mechanical engineering:
  • Where has a plastic bushing solved a long-lasting problem?
  • What new opportunities does the use of plain bearings open up?
  • How did polymer bearings improve an application in the long term? 
The application deadline for manus 2023 has expired. We wish all 480 contestants the best of luck.
 
The highlights of the manus® award 2021

manus award ceremony

These are the next steps

Jury session
The application deadline for manus 2023 has expired. This year, too, we received numerous submissions from all over the world, which will be assessed at the jury meeting on 14th March 2023. 

Award ceremony
On 19th April 2023, the time has finally come: the winners of the manus 2023 will receive the award at the Hannover Messe. All award winners will be informed in advance. The award ceremony will take place at the igus trade show stand. 

This is what you can win:

manus gold

The golden manus®

Prize money of €5,000
manus silver

The silver manus®

Prize money of €2,500
manus bronze

The bronze manus®

Prize money of €1,000
manus sustainability

The green manus®

Prize money of €1,000

manus winner

What has become of the manus winners?

The manus award is a joint initiative which the plastics specialist igus announces every two years. More than 3,000 contestants from across the globe have entered the competition in recent years, which honours the creative use of polymer plain bearings in industrial applications. This year, the manus award celebrates its tenth anniversary. A good reason to look back: what has become of the last nine winners and their projects?

Winner 2003 - Bottle cleaning machine  bearings
Winner 2005 - Ispection device for a drilling riser
Winner 2007 - Splitting machine for leather production 
Winner 2015 - Robot for cochlea implant surgery

 

The jury of experts


 
Hubertus von Monschaw
Hubertus von Monschaw

Global Director Hannover Messe, Deutsche Messe
Alexander Gölz
Alexander Gölz

Editor in Chief, Industrieanzeiger
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Boos MBA
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Boos MBA 

Managing Partner, WBA Aachener Werkzeugbau Akademie GmbH
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Krug
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Krug 

Managing Director, Institut für Fahrzeugtechnik (IFK) Technische Hochschule Köln
Paul J. Heney
Paul J. Heney 

Editor in Chief, WTWH Media
Andreas Gebhard
Dr.-Ing. Andreas Gebhard

Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH
Tobias Vogel
Tobias Vogel

CEO Plain Bearings & Linear Technology, igus GmbH

manus® catalogue 2021

All applications from the last manus

We received 582 entries from around the world for the 10th manus. In our PDF, you can take a look at all these applications.
View now

The winners of the manus competition 2021

All-terrain vehicle

Golden manus - tracked vehicle

Transporting drill assemblies, cranes, lifting platforms and excavators through tough terrain is the task of the PowerBully track vehicle made by Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, based in Laupheim.
Felling wedge

Silver manus - felling wedge

The last few dry years have made it increasingly dangerous to fell trees with a hammer and wedge. Dead branches fall at the slightest impact. Forstreich, a company based in Freiburg, Germany, has therefore developed a radio-controlled, battery-driven felling wedge.
Sun protection fins

Bronze manus - sun protection fins

Arcora, a French company, is developing a system for moving sun protection fins on facades. The developers use a shape memory alloy for this purpose.
Electric rubbish bin

Green manus - electric rubbish bin

The Finnish company Finbin, is developing a rubbish bin that compacts waste with the help of solar energy. The unique system significantly reduces both operating costs and the ecological footprint. The patented technology ensures that the waste is compressed in a ratio of 6:1.


The terms "Apiro", "AutoChain", "CFRIP", "chainflex", "chainge", "chains for cranes", "ConProtect", "cradle-chain", "CTD", "drygear", "drylin", "dryspin", "dry-tech", "dryway", "easy chain", "e-chain", "e-chain systems", "e-ketten", "e-kettensysteme", "e-loop", "energy chain", "energy chain systems", "enjoyneering", "e-skin", "e-spool", "fixflex", "flizz", "i.Cee", "ibow", "igear", "iglidur", "igubal", "igumid", "igus", "igus improves what moves", "igus:bike", "igusGO", "igutex", "iguverse", "iguversum", "kineKIT", "kopla", "manus", "motion plastics", "motion polymers", "motionary", "plastics for longer life", "print2mold", "Rawbot", "RBTX", "readycable", "readychain", "ReBeL", "ReCyycle", "reguse", "robolink", "Rohbot", "savfe", "speedigus", "superwise", "take the dryway", "tribofilament", "triflex", "twisterchain", "when it moves, igus improves", "xirodur", "xiros" and "yes" are legally protected trademarks of the igus® GmbH/ Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany and where applicable in some foreign countries. This is a non-exhaustive list of trademarks (e.g. pending trademark applications or registered trademarks) of igus GmbH or affiliated companies of igus in Germany, the European Union, the USA and/or other countries or jurisdictions.

igus® GmbH points out that it does not sell any products of the companies Allen Bradley, B&R, Baumüller, Beckhoff, Lahr, Control Techniques, Danaher Motion, ELAU, FAGOR, FANUC, Festo, Heidenhain, Jetter, Lenze, LinMot, LTi DRiVES, Mitsubishi, NUM,Parker, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Siemens, Stöber and all other drive manufacturers mention on this website. The products offered by igus® are those of igus® GmbH