Your application in the spotlight at the 10th vector award

Wanted: creative and unique applications with e-chain® systems

Your e-chain has to perform better than ever: higher loads, increasing speeds and complex motion sequences in addition to trends such as Industry 4.0 have raised the bar for performance. This is no place for standard solutions. Developing an energy supply that sets standards often requires creativity, perseverance and courage.

igus offers the perfect stage for this with the 2026 vector award. This year, the competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Every two years, igus honors the most extraordinary applications of e-chains made of high-performance plastic.

Present your project to the global public and grow your publicity. You can also win prize money of up to $5,838 (€5,000)! The closing date for entries is January 30th, 2026.

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What you can win:

All medallists can look forward to prize money, a vector trophy and a marketing package worth $11,677 (€10,000). The in-house igus agency will publish a user report in an industry medium (DACH and international) and make a professional video of their application.

The golden vector

$5,838 (€5,000)

The silver vector

$2,919 (€2,500) Prize

The bronze vector

$1,168 (€1,000) Prize

The green vector

$1,168 (€1,000) Prize

The 2024 winners

The golden vector

The golden vector award goes to the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Lisbon for the use of a complex triflex® system in an optical spectrograph. igus triflex® multi-dimensional cable carriers were used for the rotating cable jacket. They ensure that the sensitive optical fibers that transport the light from the front end to the spectrograph are not exposed to any loads that could jeopardize the scientific observations.

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The silver vector

The silver vector award goes to TDK RF Solutions for the use of e-chains® and e-spools® in a test rig for vehicle-in-the-loop (VIL) tests to measure the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of vehicles with driver assistance systems. Control cables and compressed air hoses follow the movements in the 1400 Series e-chains. e-spool® slip ring-free spring cable drums are also used to wind the e-chains. Thanks to the elimination of slip rings, maintenance times have also been reduced.

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The bronze vector

The bronze vector goes to Mecaoctet for the use of e-spool flex® systems in an animated mirrored ceiling in the ACCOR Arena in Paris. For the power supply, the experts used slip-ring-free spring cable reels from the igus e-spool® series, fitted with hybrid cables, connected to the triangles' centers of gravity. According to Mecaoctet, without this igus® solution, the complex coils with rotating collectors would have been very expensive and unreliable. Compared to a slider system with cable loops, the igus® solution is also more aesthetically pleasing.

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The green vector

The green vector goes to Bear-Machines GmbH for the use of e-chains® and cables in a machine for retreading truck tires. The engineers needed bendable and flexible cables for the machine's motors and decided in favor of igus chainflex® cables with guidance provided by E2 series e-chains®. According to the engineers, this solution perfectly fulfils the requirements for oscillating movements and compliance with bend radii.

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vector awards judges

A jury consisting of experts from science, industrial trade shows, specialist media and associations will select and notify the winners.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher

Head of the Laboratory for Machine Tools RWTH Aachen University

Ing. Madeleine Mickeleit

Founder & CEO of IIoT Use Case GmbH

Olaf Katzer

Head of Education at Autostadt GmbH

Arno Reich

Head of Business Unit/Senior Vice President Trade Show & Product Management

Michael Blaß

CEO of e-chain systems® igus® GmbH

Patron

Ken Fouhy

Editor-in-Chief, VDI nachrichten

All applications of the 9th vector award 2024

This brochure offers you a fascinating overview of all entries, concisely presented in words and pictures. Immerse yourself in the world of cable guidance. Let the creativity and ingenuity that characterizes the global engineering industry inspire you.

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