Events and Awards

2018 Product of the Year Finalists

Get connected to manufacturing's future: The official ballot is open for voting for Plant Engineering North American print and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. Cast your vote using CFE Media's New Products for Engineers platform. (Voting closed Jan. 11, 2019.)

Manufacturing always has been an organic process—materials flowing from several places, supply chains linking the front door of the plant to the final assembly, all orchestrated and coordinated. Today’s innovations take every phase of that process and provide insight and context for not just what is happening, but how it is happening and when productivity might begin to decline.

Welcome to connected manufacturing, and welcome to the 2018 Plant Engineering Product of the Year Finalists.

This year’s array of innovations helps make those connections and deliver that knowledge. The emergence of sensors and software help drives greater plant floor connectivity, and this year’s 88 finalists have continued to make their devices smarter and more intuitive.

From the smallest sensor and logic controller to the largest motor and compressor, the connected plant provides a free flow of data and knowledge to everyone involved in plant operations. All this leads to greater productivity, more flexible manufacturing, better maintenance practices and a better sense of how all raw materials—including energy—are being used.

This year’s 15 categories offer the latest innovations in every area of the plant—from asset management to safety (if you’re looking at it alphabetically) and from material handling to lighting (if you’re looking at the plant from floor to ceiling). Taken individually, they are the result of research and development at the world’s top industry suppliers.

It is research that includes extensive interviews with plant managers like you. It is through this process that product development occurs most effectively. Being responsive to the evolving needs of manufacturers is the primary catalyst for innovation. This year’s Product of the Year finalists reflect that commitment to serving manufacturing, and provides plant managers with the tools they need to continue to refine their operations and improve their productivity.

Cast your vote for the 2018 Product of the Year online at www.plantengineering.com/NP4E by Jan. 11, 2019. (Voting has closed.)

2018 Finalists

You can also vote for a product(s) by clicking the product links below. In order to vote for a product you must either log in or become a registered user. See instructions above on how to become a registered user within the New Products for Engineers Database. (Voting closed Jan. 11, 2019.)

Asset Management

Automation & Controls

Compressed Air

Electric Motors & Drives

Electrical Safety

Energy Management

Environmental Health

Fluid Handling

Lighting

Maintenance Software

Maintenance Tools & Equipment

Material Handling Systems

Plant Analytics & Design

Productivity & Training

Safety