2012 Engineers’ Choice Awards: Spotlight on innovation
Best automation, control, and instrumentation products in 30 categories.
The 25th annual Control Engineering Engineers’ Choice Awards shines a light on 30 categories of control, instrumentation, and automation products, revealing the best of those introduced in 2011 as chosen by you, Control Engineering’s print and digital audience. Review the winners and honorable mentions here to see if their innovative solutions can help you solve one of your most pressing problems.
Also, join us in congratulating these technological innovators. Let them know you learned about their solutions in Control Engineering, and what problems you need solutions for next. Their continuous improvement ensures that manufacturers, machine builders, and automation system integrators can achieve the levels of agility, efficiency, and effectiveness necessary to compete—and win—in today’s global economy.
More than 100 product nominations from 62 companies were listed on ballots for evaluation. Automation professionals from Control Engineering’s subscriber lists—all of whom are responsible for or influence technology purchases, or have hands-on day-to-day interaction with the technologies in each category—then voted to identify the products they felt were the most exceptional based on technological advancement, service to the industry, and market impact. The result is a short list of Engineers’ Choice Award winners and honorable mentions in 30 categories. A total of 30 winners and 33 honorable mentions were named for 2012, due to ties in certain categories.
Control Engineering staff extends their appreciation to all who nominated products and took the time to vote. Awards will be presented as part of a presentation recognizing the winners of the 2012 Engineers’ Choice awards to be held on March 26, 2012, in Chicago.
Engineers’ Choice Awards index: 30 winners
Hardware – Handheld test, measurement, calibration
Fluke 750 Series Documenting Process Calibrators, Fluke Corporation
Hardware – HMI, operator interface, thin-client
FPM-8151H Stainless Steel Industrial Monitor, Advantech
Hardware – Industrial PCs
UNO-2174A Embedded Automation Computer, Advantech
Hardware – Integrated HMI controllers
XV Series Operator Interface Solutions, Eaton Corporation
Machine and embedded control – CNCs, board-level products
NI Single-Board RIO Industrial Computer, National Instruments
Machine and embedded control – Discrete sensors
MR330 Fiber Optic Absolute Position Sensor, Micronor Inc.
Machine and embedded control – Machine vision, barcode readers
DataMan 500, Cognex Corporation
Machine and embedded control – PACs
ControlLogix 5570 Series PACs, Rockwell Automation
Machine and embedded control – PLCs
Ethernet 2.0 Programmable Fieldbus Controller with SD, Wago
Motion control
EasyHandling Modular Motion Control System, Bosch Rexroth Corporation
Motion control – Drives
VLT FlexConcept Drive, Danfoss VLT Drives
Motion control – Servo drives
Junma AC Servo Series, Yaskawa America Inc.
Network integration – Ethernet hardware
Elinx ESW100 Series DIN Rail Ethernet Switches, B+B Electronics Mfg. Co. Inc.
Network integration – I/O systems
Failsafe ET 200 ISP Modular Safety I/O for Hazardous Locations, Siemens Industry Inc.
Network integration – Network hardware
UHR304 Industrial Grade 4-Port USB Hub, B+B Electronics Mfg. Co. Inc.
Network integration – Signal conditioning, diagnostics
ACT20M Series of Signal Isolators and Converters, Weidmuller
Network integration – Wireless I/O
WirelessHART Adapter, Phoenix Contact
Network integration – Wireless products
Rosemount 708 Wireless Acoustic Transmitter, Emerson Process Management, Rosemount Measurement Division
Power – Energy, power protection
Quint UPS-IQ Intelligent Uninterruptible Power Supply, Phoenix Contact
Power – Motor control center
Allen-Bradley NEMA Centerline 2100 Low-voltage Motor Control Centers with Ethernet/IP, Rockwell Automation
Process control – Flowmeters
Daniel 3812 Liquid Ultrasonic Flow Meter, Emerson – Daniel Measurement and Control
Process control – Process sensors
Rosemount 3051S Electronic Remote Sensor System, Emerson Process Management, Rosemount Measurement Division
Process control systems
CombustionOne Analyzer, Controller, Safety System, Yokogawa Corp. of America
Safety – Machine safety
Allen-Bradley Guardmaster Safety Relays, Rockwell Automation
Safety – Process safety, intrinsic safety
DeltaV Intrinsic Safety CHARMs, Emerson Process Management, Process Systems and Solutions
Software – Applications
KepServerEx Communication Server, Kepware Technologies
Software – Control design
Totally Integrated Automation Portal (TIA Portal) Automation Software, Siemens Industry Inc.
Software – Diagnostics
PlantTriage Control System Performance Monitor, ExperTune Inc.
Software – HMI software
InduSoft Web Studio HMI and SCADA Software, InduSoft Inc.
Software – Mobile apps for controls, automation, instrumentation
C-more Remote HMI App, AutomationDirect
Click here to view Engineers’ Choice Awards index: 33 honorable mentions.