International manus award open for entries

Taking place every other year, the manus award will be held for the eighth time to demonstrate the tremendous potential of plastic bearings technology. In association with the Institute for Composite Materials, the Industrieanzeiger and the Technical University of Cologne, the award honours plastic plain bearing applications that are characterised by technical prowess and economic efficiency, as well as the creativity of the developer. 

"The term 'manus' (Latin for hand) symbolises the drive to innovate and go new ways in bearing technology," says Robert Dumayne, director of drytech bearings, igus.

The last manus award, in 2015, attracted 467 entries from 34 countries, showcasing an exciting and diverse array of plastic plain bearing applications. These included spherical bearings in a steering-less bicycle from Italy, linear bearings in a cake decorating machine in France and plain bearings in an aquarium cleaning robot developed in Canada. In the end, an innovative system to assist doctors with keyhole cochlea implant surgery to treat inner ear deafness and severe hearing loss from the Leibniz University of Hannover won the golden manus. 

Winners will be announced in a prestigious award ceremony at the igus stand during the Hannover Fair in April 2017. Apply online – manus-award.com – until 24^th February 2017, giving a short description of the application, plus supporting pictures and videos. The only prerequisite is that at least one prototype of the presented application exists.