Competition Rewards Design With Plastic Bearings

Manus, the contest for challenging plastic plain bearing applications, is running for the second time in the UK and Ireland this year. The initial response reveals an industry excited and eager to participate. Companies have already submitted compelling and ingenious polymer plain bearing applications from a range of industries, including handling equipment, packaging and labelling and textile machinery. Design engineers using plastic bearings are urged to submit an application before the deadline on 31st August 2006. The application must be in production or at least a working prototype built to prove its feasibility. Any organisation optimising any brand of all-plastic or plastic-compound bearings may enter. Plastic-coated bearing applications will not be considered. Any plastic bearing from any manufacturer will be considered. 'The response has been fantastic', said Matthew Aldridge, Product Director for bearings at Igus UK, the company behind the contest, and a Manus judge. 'We couldn't have asked for a better reaction'. 'Customers are enthusiastic, excited to participate and more than willing to recount their story and the benefits of using a plastic bearing'. 'The choice will be a difficult one'. The Manus panel of judges is composed of experts in engineering, including Professor John Hetherington, Head of Engineering at Cranfield University, Andy Pye, Managing Editor of Engineeringtalk and Aldridge. Three cash prizes - GBP 2500, GBP 1000 and GBP 500 - will be awarded along with a gold, silver or bronze manus trophy and a certificate of recognition at an awards evening in September.