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A mobile surgical microscope from Prechtl Tech Solutions for structurally weak countries has won the manus plastic bearing competition 2025. A jury of experts recognised the engineers who used lubrication-free polymer bearings and were thus able to increase the reliability of the microscope. Other winners of the competition include a bicycle trailer for parcel delivery, an AI hoe for agriculture and an agrivoltaics system with irrigation and cultivation system. They have all created ecological, economic and social benefits by switching to lubrication-free plain bearings made from high-performance plastics.
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.
Robots are being used in more and more areas, from production in factories to care for the elderly. To help companies of all sizes realise the full potential of automation solutions and thus become more competitive, igus is now opening the RBTX Academy. Here, interested parties can work directly on real robots to learn the basics of robot technology or improve their skills in robot programming. The RBTX Academy opened its doors for the first time on 25th January, when igus hosted the dress rehearsal for RoboCup Junior 2025 – one of the best-known and largest robotics competitions for pupils in the world – at the Porz-Lind site in Cologne.
On the occasion of igus’s 60th anniversary, the igus:bike has now been travelling across Germany for 37 days and has visited numerous customers, projects and sights along the way. From the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the iMSPO shore power system at Hamburg harbour and passenger boarding bridges at Frankfurt airport to Neuschwanstein Castle in the foothills of the Alps. The bicycle made of recycled plastic is intended to sensitise people to the topic of the “circular economy of plastics” and show how robust and durable igus motion plastics are – both in the igus:bike and in various customer applications.
The starting signal has been given, the igus:bike® is on a world tour. To celebrate igus’s 60th birthday, the innovative, bright orange bicycle made from recycled plastic will be travelling the world for a whole year. The aim: to familiarise industry partners, media representatives and consumers with a new form of urban mobility that combines a fun ride with sustainability. The urban bike represents many of the advantages of igus products, the “motion plastics”: it does not rust, requires no oil and is virtually maintenance-free. The ball bearings, drive and freewheel also do not need lubricating as they are made from high-performance plastics. At the same time, the igus:bike is an example of how the transformation to a sustainable circular economy of plastics can succeed.
Every year, several million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans. Around 1,600 rivers wash most of it into the sea. Plastic waste destroys marine ecosystems and contributes to the loss of biodiversity. To prevent it from spreading uncontrollably in the water and turning into microplastics, the start-up Plastic Fischer collects plastic waste from rivers in India and Indonesia – with the support of the Cologne-based plastics specialist igus, among others.
Reason to celebrate: the international jury of experts of the renowned competition for communication design Red Dot Award has honoured the open virtual-reality platform iguverse in two categories: “Virtual Reality Installations” and “Exhibition Design Elements”. The award recognises the motion plastics specialist’s efforts to offer SMEs barrier-free access to innovative 3D technologies and thus support their global competitiveness. Customers can present and design products faster, more efficiently and more sustainably without having to draw on their own development resources. They also save costs by using the iguverse: for example, companies can downsize exhibition stands and have digital exhibits created instead of investing in expensive exhibition models. igus is using the recognition as a tailwind to further develop the functionalities of the iguverse.
After RCYL, a bicycle made from 50 per cent recycled fishing nets, igus is setting the next milestone for sustainable mobility: the motion plastics specialist has developed the first bicycle frame made from recyclable plastic material for the German e-bike manufacturer Advanced Bikes, which is manufactured using injection moulding. Decades of expertise in plastics manufacturing and experience with the RCYL bike are channelled into the development of both the frame and new bicycle components made from high-performance plastics.
It’s done: after a long period of development work, the igus:bike, a bicycle made of 92 per cent plastic with a high share of recycled content, has gone into series production. The Dutch development partner MTRL is currently producing the first 100 units together with igus. At the same time, the plastics specialist is building its own production line at the Cologne site to increase production capacity to 10,000 units over the next two years. This brings the companies one step closer to their sustainability vision of transferring plastic waste to a circular economy and using it for the urban mobility of the future.
The German economy is weakening and will only recover slowly in 2024, according to the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research (IMK). The mechanical engineering industry is also feeling the effects. To strengthen competitiveness, organisations will have to focus on automation. Thanks to Low Cost Automation (LCA) and the RBTX robotics marketplace from igus, companies of all sizes can find a complete solution that suits their requirements and budget – from as little as €2,000. The plastics company is now honouring the projects with the fastest return on investment (ROI) with the ROIBOT Award for the third time. Users can now apply to win LCA products worth €5,000 in addition to international recognition.