Here you have it — the best products of 2010 as determined by you. Following are the winners of Motion System Design's inaugural Best by Design and Motion Medalist contests. A hearty thanks to all of you readers who voted, and sincere appreciation to our esteemed judging panel.

Victory lap: Best by Design

You — our readers — and the panel of judges profiled on page 38 selected the following innovative components as the best of the best among our Better by Design candidates for 2010. Comments are those made by our judges.

Best by Design — Readers' Choice Gold

DODGE E-Z KLEEN and ULTRA KLEEN bearings include triple-lip seals that keep out contaminants, while a rubberized flinger expels any debris that works its way into the component. A Maxlife ball cage retains lubrication and prevents washout. Why use it: Longer service life in dirty environments for more uptime; polymer or stainless housings.

Innovator: Baldor Electric Co. — Dodge • (864) 297-4800 • baldor.com

Best by Design — Readers' Choice Silver

Robolink's bionic core consists of plastic joints that are controlled via cable pulls that transfer tensile forces — similar to how human tendons function — while cable sheaths hold steady. Data cables convey images, acoustics, and forces; magnetic sensors measure angular joint position. Why use it: All-in-one modular joint for use in humanoid robots and lightweight material handling.

Innovator: igus Inc. • (800) 521-2747 • igus.com

Best by Design — Readers' Choice Bronze

Micropulse Generation 7 linear-position transducers have stroke lengths to 300 in., and shock ratings 50% better than those of previous versions. Other improvements are boosted EMI immunity and ingress protection to IP68, all in a backward-compatible design. Why use it: Consistently accurate position feedback, even at startup; mechanism requires no rehoming.

Innovator: Balluff Inc. • (800) 543-8390 • balluff.com

Best by Design — Judges' Choice Gold

Robolink all-in-one robot joint from igus Inc.

Best by Design — Judges' Choice Silver

The HS35R vector-duty encoder has a hearty plastic disc that withstands 400 g shocks — plus larger bearings that resist runout. Improved seals protect against contamination. In addition, its ASIC phased-array sensing module is farther from the disc than those of typical encoders — for a more forgiving arrangement. Why use it: Reliability in tough applications.

Innovator: Dynapar Corp. • (800) 873-8731 • dynapar.com

Best by Design — Judges' Choice Bronze

SL Series mechanical torque limiters are not bulky and heavy like other mechanical varieties. They also don't pose the same vulnerability as electronic current limitation, which can decelerate rotating masses at rates that risk torque overload through reflected inertia, and exceed a motor's peak torque rating. Why use it: The limiter disengages at 5 to 700 Nm, and reduces drive power consumption.

Innovator: R+W America • (888) 479-8728 rw-america.com

Victory lap: Motion Medalist awards

The following Motion Medalist awards are tallied from readers' votes and were chosen from a group of innovative components having enduring elegance.

Motion Medalist — Readers' Choice Gold

Hoopster retaining rings fit into much shallower grooves than regular snap rings or retaining rings and are suitable for light to heavy loads. For thin-wall tubes; low profile, precision circularity, small radial size, high thrust capacity; will not twist or deform under load as with conventional retaining rings; carbon and 302 stainless steel in sizes from 3/8 to 3 in.

Innovator: Smalley Steel Ring • (847) 719-5900 • smalley.com