At Hannover Messe yesterday, J&M Manufacturing, a U.S. maker of grain-handling equipment, won the Gold manus award from igus GmbH for its innovative use of plastic bearings in an assembly that applies liquid fertilizer.
J&M Manufacturing won the Gold award for its use of igus bearings in its Para-Linkage coulter. The Fort Recovery, Ohio-based company uses them in its 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, said igus.
The biennial manus awards, which igus 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 this year's award.
The first prize in this year's contest was €5,000 ($5,479 U.S.). Motion plastics maker igus also awarded a Silver (€2,500/$2,739), Bronze (€1,000/$1,096), and a Green prize (€1,000$1,096), honoring products for their sustainability.
Silver manus award for slim French exoskeleton
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.
Cabris, France-based Aufratech 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, noted igus.
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. The system is balanced around the user’s center of gravity, according to the company.
Bronze manus award for German telescopic high-pressure cleaner
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.
The core of the Schmolin-Putzkau, Germany-based company’s cleaner is the FSB 1500/2600 double spray boom mounted in front of the vehicle. It is 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 500 mm (19.6 in.) on each side. This adaptability enables the driver to clean large areas faster or to drive between park benches and rubbish bins with complicated steering maneuvers, said the company.
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, winning the Green manus 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% of tractors in Germany were equipped with KS80 and the wear insert, approximately 8,300 couplings would not require lubrication, saving eight tons of grease per year, said igus.
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