Episode X: polymer bearings in an inspection device for offshore riser tubes
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? The Industrieanzeiger made enquiries
Manfred Worms, Tuboscope Vetco Germany GmbH, is the winner of the second manus award, which he received in a ceremony at the Hannover Trade Show in 2005. He won the prize for the use of polymer plain bearings in an inspection device for a drilling riser. In the offshore sector, the drilling risers connect the drilling platform with the seabed. Since the riser is exposed to aggressive media and high mechanical loads, safety and environmental protection aspects require regular inspection. For this purpose, the inspection device scans the entire inner surface of the extremely stressed riser main pipe semi-automatically in just one operation. The device must be light and low-maintenance. Impurities such as corrosion products, residual liquid, sand, grease or oil must not affect the mechanics. Therefore, the designers rely on the light polymer plain bearings, igubal spherical bearings and drylin linear guides from igus. A unique application that convinced the jury of the manus award in 2005.