J&M Manufacturing from the U.S. wins the international golden manus award 2023
Four unique projects receive international prizes from igus for their creative use of dry-running and self-lubricating plastic bearings
April 20, 2023 – An Ohio manufacturer of grain handling equipment won the Gold manus award from igus for its innovative use of plastic bearings in an assembly that applies liquid fertilizer.
J&M Manufacturing of Fort Recovery, Ohio, won the award for its use of igus bearings in its Para-Linkage coulter, which is used on J&M NitroGro nitrogen applicators. The bearings withstand the corrosive environment, require no lubrication, and save time by eliminating the need to apply grease to the applicator.
The biennial manus awards, launched in 2003, honor manufacturers for their applications that demonstrate technical, economic, and ecological efficiency as well as the developer’s creativity. Judges reviewed 480 entries from 36 countries for the award. The first prize in the contest is €5,000. igus also awards a Silver (€2,500), Bronze (€1,000), and a Green prize (€1,000), which honors products for their sustainability.
Silver manus award for a French exoskeleton in a slim design
An exoskeleton used for high-pressure cleaning won the manus silver award for a creative application that provides a reliable, robust, and efficient solution that protects user health.
Aufratech, based in Cabris, France, uses linear slide bearings and corrosion-free polymer plain bearings from the iglide® J3 series in its EXO N exoskeleton. At the core of the design is a control system that enables the user to guide the attached lances while keeping the back straight. Engineers succeeded in implementing a slim design that grouped as many functions as possible around an aluminum shaft.
The hollow structure of the shaft allows integration of the hydraulic control hoses and the steel water spray lane so that the valve body can be moved to the rear of the lance and the system is balanced around the user’s center of gravity.
Bronze manus award for a telescopic high-pressure cleaner from Germany
Another cleaning device captured the manus Bronze award. Fiedler Maschinenbau und Technikvertrieb GmbH built a high-pressure cleaner for municipal vehicles in which the unit’s working area can be changed at the touch of a button.
Based in Schmolin-Putzkau, the core of the company’s cleaner is the FSB 1500/2600 double spray boom mounted in front of the vehicle, equipped with side nozzles, a middle section, and electronically switchable high-pressure underfloor nozzles for cleaning services with high water pressure.
The double spray boom can be telescoped up to 500mm on each side. The adaptability enables the driver to clean large areas faster or to drive between park benches and rubbish bins with complicated steering maneuvers. Engineers selected profile guides and pillow blocks from the igus drylin® W series for the telescopic function.
Green manus award for dry-running coupling from Germany
Rockinger Agriculture GmbH in Waltershausen, Germany, developed farm equipment that no longer requires lubrication to win the Green award.
The company designed KS80 ball couplings and wear inserts to be used on balers, loader wagons, manure spreaders, tippers, and field sprayers. The couplings are made with high-performance plastic from the iglide® series and were developed by igus, especially for the company.
Inserts in the coupling survived two million load changes with a support load of 4.5 tons. If 33 percent of tractors in Germany were equipped with KS80 and the wear insert, approximately 8,300 couplings would not require lubrication and would save eight tons of grease per year.
Find out more about the winners and all 480 entries at: www.igus.com/manus
