The winners of the 2020 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) were announced this afternoon in a digital ceremony, with products across 12 categories, including two in fluid power, Hydraulics and Pneumatics. Critical to LEAP’s success is the involvement of the engineering community. No one at WTWH Media selected the winners. Instead, our editorial team did the arduous work of assembling a top-notch independent judging panel, comprised of a cross-section of OEM design engineers and academics — 14 professionals in total. This judging team was solely responsible for the final results.
In the Hydraulics category, the winning submissions for this year are:
GOLD
Gates Corporation
GC20 with Gates Cortex Intelligence
The GC20 with Gates Cortex Intelligence is the latest innovation in smart crimper technology, and can crimp Gates’ portfolio of hoses in sizes up to 1-1/4-in. (-20). A new addition to the Gates crimper line-up — the GC20 Cortex makes connected technology available to every user in the market by including this innovation on Gates’ baseline crimper. With access to live updates on eCrimp content and new product crimp specifications, the GC20 Cortex takes the guesswork out of hydraulic assembly fabrication. This digital crimping innovation gives even the newest operators the capability to safely crimp assemblies by combining an easy-to-use interface with real-time connectivity. Crimp settings are accessed with the touch of a button for error-free crimping via an intuitive digital interface that aligns with the expectations of the next-generation workforce. The GC20 Cortex offers cloud connectivity and system integration on a baseline crimper, making it an industry-first innovation that is truly Driven by Possibility.
“Hydraulics is many times a function of tribal knowledge. Now, this knowledge is at a user’s fingertips. And the price-point is fantastic!”
SILVER
Schroeder Industries
TNK7 Complete Plastic Tank Solution
Schroeder Industries believes that a hydraulic tank is much more than a container of fluid. If properly designed, a hydraulic tank can improve the performance of the entire hydraulic system. Functions such as heat dissipation, de-aeration, and settling of contaminants improves with a properly designed hydraulic tank.
The TNK7 Complete Plastic Tank Solution is a certified clean solution for fluid storage, monitoring, and conditioning all contained in a compact size, ideal for hydraulic applications. Whether the application itself is compact in scale with strict weight requirements, or is part of a larger system with stringent clearance allowance, the TNK7 finds itself right at home in either scenario.
BRONZE
Sun Hydraulics
CANpoint XMD Configuration Software
The CANpoint software expands the capabilities of the company’s line of XMD mobile drivers, allowing these small, powerful valve drivers to be configured quickly and easily over CAN bus using a computer. With the XMD dual-output drivers configured with CANpoint, users can easily implement open-loop, closed-loop (PID) and hydraulic fan drive control using pre-programmed modes.
CANpoint provides a clear, simple software interface that allows for point-and-click output shaping with excellent resolution and predictable results. It requires no programming to go from connecting to configuring to completing the application setup. All the user needs is Sun’s XMD CAN-to-USB hardware interface cable to connect the driver to a computer.
CANpoint provides a simple output menu for most common solutions and end-use cases with PWM frequency, output mode and ramp settings. Advanced options offer more control for experienced users, with output current regulation PID settings and robust fault detection that includes user-defined fault status modes.
