manus 2006

Plastic Plain Bearing Design Contest

The concept behind manus® is to promote new and original ways of using plastic bearings and to encourage awareness of the advantages to a wider audience of potential users.
The competition also endeavours to reward those with the courage and tenacity to implement polymer bearings in the most innovative or challenging applications with cash prizes totalling £4,000. igus® launched manus® in the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2004.
The 2006 competition had over 50% more entries and saw applications from a wide range of industries, from folding bikes and prosthetic limbs, to high-tech hinges and laboratory equipment.
The contest has also run in the United States, Germany, Italy and Brazil since its inception in 2003.
To enter, participants submit a short description of how they are using plastic bearings, which bearing they are using and a photo or technical drawing of the application. Entrants also detail what benefits, such as technical advancements, cost savings, or increased life span, resulted from using plastic bearings. Any organisation optimising any brand of plastic plain bearing in new or existing applications may enter.
manus® 2006 was judged by John Hetherington, Head of Engineering Systems at Cranfield University, Andy Pye, Managing Editor of Pro-Talk, and Matthew Aldridge, Bearings Product Director for igus® UK.
The panel made their decision based on which applications demonstrated the most creativity, technical advancement and economic impact.
manus® is Latin for "hand", and symbolises courage and initiative in advancing bearing technology.