In its ninth year, Design World’s LEAP Awards recognize the engineering innovations shaping the future of design and technology across a range of categories. Each year, the awards bring together leading OEM design engineers and academics to form an independent judging panel that evaluates the submissions and selects the most outstanding solutions. The program reflects the innovation and expertise driving progress across the engineering community.
This year’s winners in the Test & Measurement category showcase innovations in precision temperature sensing, high-speed measurement, and advanced power testing, highlighting technologies that are improving accuracy, reliability, and process control across demanding industrial and manufacturing applications.
Congratulations to the LEAP Awards for Test & Measurement winners, who are profiled here:
GOLD
Advanced Energy
Sekidenko® 401M Series Optical Pyrometer
Advanced Energy’s Sekidenko® 401M Series Optical Pyrometer is advancing industrial temperature measurement by addressing the challenges of monitoring rapidly changing thermal processes in semiconductor, glass, and thin-film solar manufacturing. Designed for applications where contact-based sensors are impractical or unsuitable, the 401M uses mid-wave infrared technology operating across approximately 1.7 μm to 6 μm to deliver accurate, non-contact temperature measurements. With a measurement range of approximately 50°C to 1300°C and measurement rates up to 1 kHz, the system enables engineers to monitor dynamic thermal conditions in real time. Its compact design integrates optics directly into the instrument, reducing installation complexity and supporting space-constrained equipment configurations. Multiple communication interfaces, including EtherCAT, USB, serial, and analog outputs, simplify integration into automated manufacturing and process-control systems.
The 401M is engineered to deliver reliable measurements on specialized materials and in demanding environments, including high temperatures, vacuum chambers, moving substrates, and chemically aggressive conditions. By eliminating direct contact with the target, the pyrometer reduces contamination risks while improving measurement reliability and process consistency. Automatic ambient thermal correction and configurable optics, filters, and detector options allow engineers to tailor performance to specific materials and manufacturing requirements. These capabilities support precise thermal control across advanced semiconductor fabrication, glass production, and solar-cell manufacturing processes, where temperature accuracy can directly influence product quality and yield. By combining high-speed measurement, flexible integration, and adaptable optical sensing in a compact platform, Advanced Energy’s Sekidenko 401M Series provides engineers with a powerful tool for improving process visibility, manufacturing consistency, and control in demanding industrial applications.
SILVER
Advanced Energy
Luxtron® M-1200 Fiber Optic Temperature Converter
Advanced Energy’s Luxtron® M-1200 Fiber Optic Temperature Converter is advancing precision temperature measurement by addressing the challenges of monitoring thermal conditions in environments where conventional sensors cannot operate reliably. Using the company’s patented FluorOptic® fiber-optic sensing technology, the M-1200 delivers accurate, real-time temperature measurements while remaining immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio-frequency (RF) fields, microwave energy, and high-voltage environments. With a measurement range of approximately -200°C to 450°C and accuracy up to ±0.15°C, the system supports demanding applications across semiconductor manufacturing, medical equipment, industrial processing, and scientific research. Its compact, DIN-rail-mounted design accommodates up to five sensing channels, while EtherCAT connectivity enables straightforward integration into automated manufacturing and process-control systems.
Unlike conventional thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), the M-1200 uses fiber-optic probes with no conductive metal at the sensing point, enabling reliable measurements in electrically noisy and high-energy environments such as RF plasma chambers, MRI systems, microwave heating equipment, and high-voltage installations. The converter combines low-noise electronics, fast response rates, and a stable light source designed for long-term operation without routine calibration. These capabilities help engineers maintain precise thermal control in applications where measurement accuracy, electrical isolation, and long-term reliability are essential. By combining multi-channel measurement, high accuracy, and immunity to electromagnetic interference in a compact platform, Advanced Energy’s Luxtron M-1200 gives equipment manufacturers a flexible solution for improving process monitoring, optimizing system performance, and maintaining product quality in demanding industrial and medical environments.
SILVER
ITECH Electronics
IT8100A High-Speed, High-Power DC Electronic Load
ITECH Electronics’ IT8100A High-Speed, High-Power DC Electronic Load is advancing power testing by addressing the growing demands of AI infrastructure, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) data centers, electric vehicle charging, and new energy technologies. Designed as a megawatt-class testing platform, the IT8100A combines ultra-high power density with high-speed dynamic performance, enabling engineers to evaluate next-generation power supplies and high-power modules under demanding operating conditions. Its 150 V, 3U model delivers up to 7.2 kW, while a fiber-optic master-slave parallel architecture enables systems to scale beyond 1.8 MW. This approach provides microsecond-level synchronization, low communication latency, and enhanced system stability, allowing engineers to conduct large-scale power testing while reducing equipment footprint and deployment complexity.
The IT8100A delivers a current slew rate of up to 150 A/μs, along with 1.5× short-term overload and 4× transient overload capabilities, enabling accurate simulation of rapid load changes in demanding applications. Its integrated electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) functionality generates Bode and Nyquist plots directly within the system, supporting advanced analysis of batteries, fuel cells, and other energy technologies. Dynamic, sequence, and user-defined waveform modes provide additional flexibility for reproducing complex load profiles and validating system behavior under real-world conditions. With scalable configurations ranging from compact laboratory setups to megawatt-level test systems, ITECH Electronics’ IT8100A gives engineers a versatile platform for evaluating high-power electronics with greater precision and efficiency. By combining high power density, fast transient response, and scalable system integration, the IT8100A supports the development and validation of advanced power solutions for AI data centers, electric mobility, and the evolving energy landscape.