Record participation in the igus plastic bearing competition manus

GENTING LANE, Singapore - March 6, 2025 - PRLog -- This record participation in the Manus award 2025 from igus impressively demonstrates the innovative power and creativity of engineers around the world. The competition recognises the creative use of plastic bearings in machines, systems and vehicles, with a focus on the economic, ecological and social benefits. With 613 registrations from 38 countries, the competition noted an increase of almost 28% compared to 2023.

A self-balancing wheelchair with electric drive, an electric pergola with lubrication-free bearings, and a fail-safe microscope for eye operations in developing countries all use igus' lubrication-free plastic bearings instead of traditional metal ones. These projects are competing for the manus award 2025, which igus awards biennially to honor creative uses of polymer bearings, in collaboration with several industry partners.

613 applications show how relevant high-performance plastics have become in economic and sustainable terms
This year's record participation impressively demonstrates how attractive and relevant the switch from metal bearings to high-performance plastics has become regarding cost-effectiveness and sustainability," says Tobias Vogel, CEO Plain Bearings and Linear Technology at igus. For example, a manufacturer of an electric pergola reports in its submission that it can dispense with additional grease thanks to polymer bearings with integrated solid lubricants – and thus saves €25,000 in grease costs and 20,000 hours of maintenance time within the guarantee period, while protecting the environment.

Jury selects winners in four categories in February with up to €5,000 euros prize money
The manus award jury met on 19th February 2025 to vote on the winners. "In our assessments, we place particular emphasis on creativity and the courage to question established industry standards for metallic plain bearings and replace them with plastic alternatives," emphasises Vogel. "At the same time, the applications also provide great inspiration for other companies to switch from metal to plastic." The jury presents four awards: the golden manus with €5,000 prize money, the silver manus (€2,500), the bronze manus (€1,000) and the green manus for a particularly sustainable solution (€3,000). The winners will be officially announced on 27 March 2025. For the first time, the award ceremonies will take place on the winners' premises this year.

https://www.igus.sg/info/plain-bearings-iglidur
https://www.igus.eu/company/competitions/manus-award