On the lookout for better products

One of the many ways that our publication has helped our readers over the past dozen years has been to present new products across the mechanical and electrical engineering space. Even amongst the more mature corners of our coverage, there are constantly new and improved components being unveiled. We strive to bring you news about these products, give you the specification data that you need, and then eventually show you interesting application stories where the components are making a difference for design engineers.

I’m excited to tell you about a new program that our company, WTWH Media is starting this year. We’re launching the inaugural Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program (LEAP) Awards. This design engineering product competition will honor the most exciting new products in a host of technology areas, across three of our company’s flagship brands: Design World, Fluid Power Worldand EE World.

LEAP will honor the best designs in these 14 categories:

Additive Manufacturing
Advanced Materials
Analog Electronics
Connectivity
Embedded Computing
Fastening & Joining
Hydraulics
Industrial Automation
Mechanical
Motion Control
Pneumatics
Power Electronics
Switches & Sensors, and
Test & Measurement.

What I’m most proud of with this new program is the involvement of the engineering community. What’s different with LEAP is that no one here at WTWH will be involved in the actual selection of the winners. Instead, our editorial team is assembling an independent judging panel, comprised of a cross-section of OEM design engineers and academics. This judging team will be solely responsible for the final results.

For this year’s awards competition, products must have been released within the past two years and be available for commercial purchase in the United States. Finalists will be announced in November. Winners will be announced at an awards program in conjunction with DeviceTalks West in Orange County, California on December 12, and then you’ll be able to read about them here. Stay tuned.