Omas’ Leonardo Edge secures prestigious Red Dot Award 2026 for milling innovation
The recognition applauds the mill’s innovative design, engineering integration, and human‑centric approach to operation in industrial cereal‑processing environments.
ITALY – Omas Industries has earned one of the world’s most coveted industrial design honours, with its flagship roller mill, Leonardo Edge, winning the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2026, a recognition that underscores the company’s push to merge engineering precision with forward-thinking design in the global milling industry.
The recognition, bestowed by an international jury of design experts, marks a significant milestone for the Italian manufacturer, positioning the Leonardo Edge as a benchmark for industrial excellence, technological integration, and sustainable engineering within the global grain processing sector.
In 2026, submissions were received from 61 countries, with awarded products demonstrating the diverse ways in which design responds to technological, functional and societal requirements across industries.
The jury, comprising approximately 40 international members, evaluated entries based on four qualities of good design: a product must convince through its function, appeal aesthetically, be simple and intuitive to use, and demonstrate responsibility.
At the core of the machine’s appeal is a suite of patented technologies. Protected by an international patent, Leonardo Edge offers superior performance, maximum energy efficiency, and total process control.
Key features include a patented OKS; Omas KERS System for kinetic energy recovery, touchscreen-controlled individual roller speeds ranging from 60 to 550 RPM, a roller temperature control sensor ensuring uniform milling across the entire surface, and full recipe control including roll gap, feeding roll speed, hopper level and roll inversion.
The Omas KERS System (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which allows for the recovery of energy produced during the milling process, potentially reducing a facility’s energy consumption by up to 70% compared to legacy equipment.
Beyond energy efficiency, the Red Dot jury highlighted the Leonardo Edge for its advanced automation and user-centric design.
The mill is equipped with the Omas Drive System (ODS), which allows for micrometric precision in roll gap adjustments via brushless motors, ensuring consistent product quality.
Its “Economy in Building Layout” capability is another standout feature; by removing the need for a dedicated motorization floor and belts, the Leonardo Edge allows millers to reduce the overall height and cost of new plant constructions.
The use of high-tech materials, such as food-grade PETG polyethylene for the transparent feeding hopper, further underscores the company’s commitment to hygiene and visual process monitoring.
The award recognizes Omas Industries’ continuous commitment to redefining the future of milling through advanced automation, energy efficiency and user-oriented design.
Leonardo Edge represents a new generation of roller mills, combining high performance with intelligent process control and offering millers unprecedented flexibility, sustainability and operational efficiency, the company said.
Luigi Nalon, chief executive officer of Omas, welcomed the distinction as a validation of the company’s broader industrial philosophy.
“This award represents an important milestone for Omas Industries and confirms our vision of combining technology, sustainability and design to revolutionize the milling industry,” Nalon said.
“Leonardo Edge was created to push beyond traditional limits and offer our customers a smarter, more efficient and more sustainable way of milling.”
Founded in 1966, Omas Industries is an Italian company specialized in the design and manufacturing of milling machinery and turnkey milling plants.
The Red Dot Gala, where winners will be formally honoured before an international audience, is scheduled for July 7, 2026, at the Aalto Theater in Essen, Germany, with the event also to be livestreamed globally.
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