The winners of the 2025 LEAP (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) Awards were announced earlier this week in a digital ceremony, with products across 11 categories, including Motion Control.
What sets the LEAP Awards apart from so many others is the involvement of the engineering community. Each year, the Design World editorial team assembles a top-notch independent judging panel, comprised of a cross-section of OEM design engineering and academic professionals – this year it included 11 professionals.
In the Motion Control category, the winning submissions for this year are:
Gold
Sun Hydraulics, LLC
ENERGEN™
Sun’s latest innovative solution, ENERGEN, is designed to convert hydraulic power into electrical power. Composed of an integrated generator, ENERGEN delivers a robust approach to local and remote electrical power generation. By removing failure points associated with electrical power transmission in traditional hydraulic systems, the ENERGEN provides a new solution for existing pain points. With an output power capacity of 40 W, it provides reliable power for sensors, wireless communication, and smart monitoring without the need for external energy sources. Designed to fit Sun’s compact T-16A Sun cavity, it seamlessly integrates into existing hydraulic systems while operating within standard flow and pressure ranges.
This valve delivers optimal performance with a maximum rating of 200 psi (14 bar) at port 2 while withstanding pressures up to 5,000 psi (350 bar). Built to last, ENERGEN supports electrical power requirements of remote monitoring and predictive maintenance, enhancing system intelligence and reliability. Its 3,000-hour lifespan and durable construction ensures long-term performance in harsh environments, reducing downtime and operational costs. The valve leverages an integrated generator to convert pressure differentials into electricity, making it an ideal solution for industrial and mobile hydraulic applications.
From the judge’s comment: First time to see such an idea. In my opinion, it promotes the safety and reliability of the operation of electrohydraulic systems. It can be used in parallel with conventional power supplies for sensors and valves to offer redundancy in the system. Excellent idea!
Silver
Joral LLC
Multiturn Position Sensor for Danfoss Hydraulic Motors – A Drop-In Motion Control Upgrade
Joral LLC’s motion control breakthrough is a multiturn absolute position sensor that mounts directly to Danfoss hydraulic motors equipped with the EMD (Electronic Motor Displacement) speed sensor pickup. By leveraging the existing mechanical interface, it converts a traditional speed sensor port into a high-resolution, multiturn position feedback system—unlocking advanced motion control capabilities without altering the motor housing.
Engineered for rugged mobile environments, the sensor is based on Joral’s proven non-contact absolute encoder technology, delivering power-independent multiturn tracking with no homing or battery backup required. Sealed to IP69K and resistant to shock, vibration, and fluid ingress, it is purpose-built for harsh-duty motion applications. Communication is available via CANopen or J1939, ensuring seamless integration with modern hydraulic controllers.
This drop-in upgrade enables true closed-loop motion control for hydraulic actuators—enabling functions like synchronized movement, real-time load positioning, and predictive diagnostics in mobile equipment.
What sets this solution apart is its simplicity: using the EMD pickup as a universal mount, Joral delivers advanced motion feedback with zero machining, zero programming complexity, and maximum reliability. It redefines what’s possible in mobile hydraulics—bringing motion control precision to an environment traditionally dominated by speed-only feedback.
Bronze
Delta Motion
EtherCAT MainDevice with Redundancy Port
The RMC200 motion controller from Delta Motion, combined with the ECAT EtherCAT communication module, delivers high-performance, real-time control for complex motion systems. The ECAT module enables the RMC200 to act as an EtherCAT MainDevice, providing seamless communication with electric drives, sensors, and actuators over a fast and reliable industrial Ethernet network. Equipped with two RJ-45 ports, the ECAT module supports cable redundancy, ensuring continuous operation even in the event of a cable fault. It supports linear, ring, and star topologies and operates on a 100 Mbps full-duplex connection using CAT5, CAT5e, or CAT6 cables. Minimum cycle times of 250 µs allow for fast, precise control in demanding applications.
The RMC200 supports a wide range of control modes over EtherCAT, including position, velocity, pressure, force, and torque. It also supports both single-loop and dual-loop axes, which can be configured using a combination of EtherCAT-based or directly connected I/O. The system is compatible with CANopen over EtherCAT (CoE), specifically supporting CiA402 drive profiles and CiA408 valve profiles for enhanced interoperability with third-party devices.
With support for Distributed Clock synchronization, EtherCAT subordinate devices remain tightly aligned with the RMC200’s motion loop, enabling precise, coordinated motion control across complex automation systems.
A hearty Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
Check out the winners in all the product categories at Design World.
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