Seven nominations for Wim van der Hoek Award 2026

Mechanical design flourishes at universities of applied sciences and universities of technology, where young designers continue to derive inspiration from the design principles of Wim van der Hoek, as witnessed by this year’s seven nominations for the Wim van der Hoek Award. The former Philips engineer and professor by special appointment at Eindhoven University of Technology passed away in 2019 at the age of 94, but his ideas are still taught, and his name lives on in this eponymous prize. The jury for the award received nominations for students from one university of technology and two universities of applied sciences who applied existing or new design principles in their graduation work in an appealing way. The award will be presented for the 21st time on Thursday 19 November under the auspices of DSPE. The award ceremony will take place in Den Bosch (NL) during the second day of the Precision Fair.

The Wim van der Hoek Award – also known as the Constructors Award – was introduced in 2006 to mark the 80th birthday of the Dutch doyen of design engineering principles, Wim van der Hoek. The objective was, and continues to be, to promote and stimulate the discipline of mechanical engineering. This award includes a certificate, a trophy produced by the Leidse instrumentmakers School and a sum of money sponsored by DSPE.

Best graduation project

The Wim van der Hoek Award is presented every year to the person with the best graduation project in the field of design in mechanical engineering at a university of technology (TU) or a university of applied sciences (UAS) in the Netherlands or Belgium. Criteria for the assessment of the graduation theses include the quality of the design, its substantiation and innovativeness, as well as its suitability for use in teaching design principles. This year, the jury, under the presidency of DSPE board member Jos Gunsing (MaromeTech), received seven nominations, submitted by the graduation supervisor/professor of each student concerned. There were two nominations from TU Eindhoven, two from Fontys UAS in Eindhoven and three from HAN UAS (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen).

Candidates Wim van der Hoek award 2026

1. Ruxandra Catană

(Fontys UAS) Development of a Three-degrees-of-freedom weighing bridge for a force sensor system
“Ruxandra is a highly capable mechanical engineer with strong analytical skills and the ability to take ownership of complex technical challenges. During her graduation project, she investigated and developed flexure-based concepts for a 3D mechanical weighing bridge for inline force and weight measurement. She used a systematic evaluation to justify her design choices, proved that the requirements could not all be met simultaneously, and clearly substantiated why. During her final presentation, Ruxandra presented her conclusions with confidence and was able to discuss alternative design directions and their consequences.”

2. Michiel Collignon

(TU Eindhoven) Mechatronic System for Positioning of a Parallel Overlay Sensor Array – A Concept Study
“Michiel has demonstrated that he possesses the quintessential DNA of a design engineer. His assignment focused on the positioning of a sensor array, subject to stringent mechatronic requirements regarding dynamics, reproducibility, and thermal stability. He evaluated various potential solutions in a systematic and objective manner, employing methodologies such as dynamic error budgeting to identify potential sources of error and dynamic effects in advance. This enabled Michiel to effectively steer the development towards the optimal mechatronic system architecture, while strictly applying classic Dutch design principles and remaining keenly focused on industrial application.”

3. Jonathan de Haan

(HAN UAS) ‘Installatiepositionering van machines’ (Installation positioning of machines)
“Jonathan has developed a large-scale pen plotter with a working area of approximately 2×6 square meters. Notably, he took a very methodical approach, dedicating about a month to researching alternative marking methods before designing the complete plotter in just three months. Jonathan has an intuitive ability to identify critical components, consciously engineering them to be either compliant or stiff, depending on the specific requirements.”

4. Joris Hodzelmans

(HAN UAS) ‘De nieuwe spin’ (The new spider)
“Joris has designed a delta robot, for which he developed a kinematic model in Matlab – used, among other things, to calculate drive torques – and executed the design in SolidWorks. He demonstrated a strong grasp of structural considerations, such as gear ratios and preloaded drive systems, and successfully integrated these into his design. His practical foundation in mechanical engineering, thanks to his education as a research instrumentmaker at the Leidse instrumentmakers School, serves as a significant advantage in design work. As a result, he possesses a unique, practical understanding of what it entails to specify materials, machining processes, or tolerances on technical drawings.”

5. Vadims Kisels

(TU Eindhoven) Design of a carbon fibre reinforced moving frame for the DUV reticle stage
“Vadims has conducted research into the application of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics as a replacement for metals in semiconductor applications. For a specific frame, he achieved a total mass reduction of over 30% compared to the existing aluminium version, which enables a significant increase in stage acceleration while maintaining dynamic performance. He carried out his graduation project with a high degree of independence, in collaboration with an R&D department. Vadims demonstrated his ability to successfully complete a broad mechanical engineering design assignment, combining mechanical design with complex numerical analyses and experimental verification.”

6. Cathal O’Neill

(Fontys UAS) Design of a Kinematic X/Y Manipulator and Glovebox System for Lithium Sample Handling
“Cathal has demonstrated in his graduation project an exceptional application of design principles, combining precision engineering, kinematics, contamination control and manufacturability in elegant and well-substantiated design solutions. He distinguished himself by consistently challenging assumptions and searching for the fundamental reasoning behind every design decision, resulting in a design of remarkable technical depth and quality. Cathal combines outstanding analytical and design skills with a strong entrepreneurial mindset and an exceptional drive to learn. His combination of technical creativity, intellectual curiosity and personal maturity makes him an excellent representative of the next generation of mechanical design engineers.”

7. Ravindra Persaud

(HAN UAS) Design, Assembly and Validation of a Laboratory Mixer-Extruder System for Shaping Small Sample Sizes of Metal-Organic Frameworks
“Ravindra has designed, assembled and validated a laboratory set-up, successfully bridging the gap between applied and scientific research. He formulated a SMART research objective along with corresponding research questions, reviewed scientific literature, and – incorporating input from experts – translated these into a clear problem definition and a set of requirements. Furthermore, he integrated methods from various disciplines and remained transparent regarding design estimates. He is open to feedback and willing to adjust his approach based on his own reflection. Ravindra’s research is relevant to the energy transition; he is addressing a societally relevant issue, doing so with a keen eye for both practical application and scientific substantiation.”

The presentation will be on Thursday 19 November, 4:15 p.m., at the Precision Fair in the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch (NL).

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