This article was originally published Sept. 30, 2022 and updated Dec. 15, 2022.
Readers of Electronic Design, Machine Design and Power & Motion selected the 2022 IDEA Award winners. Readers chose the top products in eight categories and the single product with the highest number of votes overall receiving the Big IDEA Award. This year’s recipient was the Hägglunds Fusion Drive System from Bosch Rexroth.
A full list of the 2022 IDEA Awards winners is below:
BIG IDEA
Hägglunds Fusion Drive System
Hägglunds Fusion is designed to house the motor, pump and controls in the torque arm, allowing for a smaller footprint. Compact in design, the Fusion places the entire hydraulic drive system on the torque arm. No additional gearbox, foundation or external equipment is needed. With all components in one place, it is easy to install and maintain. The plug-and-play design provides maximum torque from zero speed along with built-in protection from torque peaks.
AUTOMATION & CONTROLS
AV/AES Valve System With Integrated OPC UA
Emerson’s AVENTICS Series Advanced Valve system with Advanced Electronic System (AES) Profinet and Ethernet/IP is available with preinstalled OPC UA functionality. The AES helps users solve interoperability challenges and access data more easily, while the integration of the digital twin can improve productivity and efficiency. OPC UA functionality also expands the connected capabilities of the valve system itself, making it easier for users in industries such as automotive, food and beverage, packaging, pulp and paper industries to digitally transform.
DESIGN SOFTWARE
Altimade
Altimade is the first collaborative experience for designers that brings the manufacturing ecosystem into the PCB design workflow. Altimade is accessible through Altium’s EDA tools, delivering a modernized “design with manufacturing” approach. Designers can track the progress of their projects and collaborate with manufacturing from start to finish without leaving their design environment. Designers obtain real-time supply chain data, validate their BOMs, generate quotes, place an order, and maintain a record of design changes and delivery status.
CLOUD COMPUTING
Allen-Bradley ASEM 6300 Industrial Monitors
The Allen-Bradley ASEM 6300M industrial monitors help OEMs differentiate machines and meet a wide range of application needs. Several design options give OEMs freedom to customize monitors based on cost, performance, look and feel. Design options include stainless-steel for washdown, aluminum or edge-to-edge glass, single- and multi-touch, sizes from 8.4 to 24 inches in standard and widescreen. All have high-resolution displays. The monitors can display up to four tiles on one screen.
ELECTRIC DRIVES & MOTORS
eLION Motor-Generators
Rexroth’s electric 700 V eLION motor-generators cover a nominal power range from 20 to 200 kW (peak power up to 400 kW) and deliver nominal torques of up to 1050 Nm and maximum torque of up to 2400 Nm. They are available in four sizes with different lengths and winding configurations. Both standard and high-speed variants allow the best design solution for traction and implement function needs. eLION benefits include high efficiency, lower emissions, robust and scalable components designed specifically for mobile machinery.
FLUID POWER COMPONENTS
Aeroquip EC881 Dynamax Hose
Featuring patented DuraPulse inner tube technology, Aeroquip by Danfoss EC881 Dynamax two-wire braided hose delivers impressive lifecycle and high pressure and temperature tolerance. The hose outperforms standard EN857 type 2SC hose specifications with 35% higher pressure rating, 26% higher operating temperature, 8 times higher abrasion resistance, 1/3 SAE bend radius (50% more flexible) and 5 times more impulse life with a qualified 1 million impulse cycle performance. The hose can replace heavy, rigid four-wire spiral hose in certain applications.
MECHATRONICS-MOTION CONTROL
ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives
Performance Motion Devices, Inc.
ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives are compact, PCB-mountable modules that provide high-performance motion control, network connectivity, and power amplification for Brushless DC, DC Brush, and step motors. Three power output levels are available: 75, 350, and 1,000 watts and communication options include Ethernet, CAN, RS232, RS485, and Serial Peripheral Interconnect. N-Series IONs are fully programmable and perform profile generation, PID servo compensation, direct encoder input, field-oriented control, and other motion control functions.
ROBOTICS
UR20
The new UR20 cobot can handle heavier loads up to 20 kg with a greater reach of 1750mm. It’s the lightest robot on the market in its payload and reach class, weighing only 64 kg with a small footprint of about 245 mm. The cobot features an all-new joint design, increasing all joint torques approximately 25%, joint speeds by as much as 65%, and TCP speed of 100%. The updated software brings smoother motion and increased uptime.
SENSORS
AWR2944 Single-Chip Radar Sensor
Empowering automakers to develop vehicles with increased visibility of their surroundings, the high-resolution 77-GHz AWR2944 single-chip automotive radar sensor from Texas Instruments can help automakers meet the latest automotive safety regulations and provides best-in-class radio frequency performance in a small form factor. The AWR2944 integrates a fourth transmitter to provide 33% higher resolution, enabling vehicles to detect obstacles more clearly and avoid collisions. The sensor’s unique hardware improves the ability to sense oncoming vehicles at distances up to 40% farther away.
