The long-awaited MD&M West, D&M West, and ATX West shows are almost here! In just a few days, engineers and innovators from all over will convene to share knowledge and new technologies that advance our collective capabilities. The conference and exhibition will take place February 7-9, 2023, at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
Here’s a preview of some of the new technologies and demonstrations attendees will find at the booths (listed in ascending booth number). Select the booth numbers below to view their locations on the exhibit floor plan.
Honeywell’s new ultra-fine bio fiber
Honeywell’s Spectra Medical Grade (MG) fiber is ultra-high strength and ultra-lightweight polyethylene fiber manufactured through a patented gel spinning process. Shown here is the Blue Spectra MG Bio fiber. Image courtesy of Honeywell.
Honeywell’s newly launched Spectra UF Bio is 100% ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and ultra-fine (UF) fiber that offers exceptional flexibility, strength, and durability compared to polyester, nylon, and other commonly used materials. The ultra-fine fiber allows medical device companies to develop devices with smaller profiles, which is especially important for cardiovascular and endovascular medical devices.
Clippard’s pneumatic controls and valves
Clippard designed the Cordis Proportional Pressure and Flow Controls to help close the loop around pressure and flow for a higher level of control.
Clippard will have an array of products on display. Stop by to see the Cordis Proportional Pressure and Flow Controls, which are highly customizable and help hone in on application controls and performances.
The ES Series 2-Way and 3-Way Electronic Valves feature ultra-low leak rates, have a compact footprint, and are suitable for biomedical, dental, oxygen control, pressure control, and portable systems applications.
The Isolation and Pinch Valves are an alternative to traditional mechanical valves when media contamination is a concern. They interact with tubing, PTFE, or PEEK and never touch the material being dispensed.
Schurter’s new projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen operation
Schurter’s new PCAP operation will be announced at MD&M West.
Schurter will showcase its human-machine interface (HMI) capabilities at the show. Construction for its California-based production facility is complete, and its PCAP touchscreen line is ready for production.
In addition to HMI solutions, power entry modules offer low leakage filters, ground line chokes, cord retaining solutions, and IP-rated units, such as the new 6080 series, which is IP54 rated under load. Metal Line switches feature mechanical, capacitive, and touchless technologies, which are robust and resistant to spills and cleaning. SMD fuses are designed to withstand pulse currents, high inrush, and temperature variations.
Schurter components and HMI solutions are intended for use in the highest-grade medical equipment where high reliability, certified compliances with ISO 13485 and IEC/UL 60601-1, and product life cycle longevity are staple requirements.
Faulhaber’s high-performance linear actuators
Faulhaber’s linear actuaor L series is designed for high performance in compact dimensions and supports large input speed or high output force.
Faulhaber’s new linear actuator L series is designed for high performances in compact dimensions, it supports large input speed or high output force. The smaller versions 06L/08L/10L are ideal for medical, lab automation, optics, photonics, or space applications. The larger versions 22L/32L using the latest GPT gear technology, are designed for applications in the industrial automation, optics, and photonics. The linear actuator L series can therefore be combined with a wide range of DC motors, 4-pole and 2-pole brushless motors or stepper motors and are optimized to leverage at best the torque and speed range of the different Faulhaber motor families.
Emerson’s assembly, cleaning, and fluid-control solutions
Emerson’s Branson ultrasonic, mold-cleaning, non-contact system uses cavitation to dislodge soils and contaminants from the mold surfaces, making it ideal for close-tolerance medical device tooling.
Emerson will showcase Branson welding equipment and automated solutions for plastics joining and mold cleaning, in addition to ASCO miniature valve technologies for fluid control.
The ASCO fluid-control portfolio is uniquely designed to address the speed, specificity, and exceptional quality demanded by leaders in the analytical and medical world. Branson plastic joining solutions simplify assembly and reduce the number of device components. Both Emerson brands have vast technical applications experience and a global footprint with local engineering teams to support product design.
Futek’s new interactive experience
Futek’s IAA200 Analog Amplifier with Current Output is a new general-purpose amplifier solution for in-line amplification of any full-bridge strain gauge type sensor with mV/V range output.
Futek will unveil its new interactive experience and unreleased products, including innovative new strain gauge amplifiers, USB solutions, and the latest editions of the S-Beam Jr load cell series.
Bosch Rexroth’s factory automation technologies
Bosch Rexroth will provide demonstrations and booth presentations on multiple automation technologies, including mechatronics, linear motion, transport, and robotics.
Bosch Rexroth’s booth will include interactive exhibits and working systems demos of their automation solution portfolio. Featured will be a Smart Function Kit for Handling, a 3-axis Cartesian robot, and a state-of-the-art flexible transport system that delivers high accuracy with unprecedented speed, integrated with a Kassow collaborative robot.
Other key booth demos and highlights include the MP1000R Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR), ctrlX AUTOMATION Cube, Flexible Transport System (FTS), Linear Motion eTools, and the next-generation Nexo.
Phytools’ industrialized open controller
Industrialized Raspberry Pi devices provide expanded options for end users and their applications. Phytools will showcase one such model, the RevPi.
Phytools is showcasing Revolution Pi (RevPi), a versatile edge device that exploits the economies of scale derived from the millions of Raspberry PIs in service to provide users with extended functionality in a robust package and at a much higher price/performance ratio than traditional PLCs.
RevPi is ideal for tackling a variety of industrial needs in the control room, including compute, connectivity, and calculation-intensive operations. The device was born in 2016 with the launch of an open-source industrial PC (IPC) based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module. Engineered and manufactured in Germany by Kunbus, this low-cost, scalable, and industrially oriented controller embodied the ideals of the Raspberry Pi, making no secret of the underlying hardware, source code, or software.
Epson’s SCARA and 6-axis robot solutions
Epson will demonstrate how the GX-Series SCARA robots with patented GYROPLUS Technology handles complex and demanding tasks.
Epson Robots will demonstrate its high-tech automation solutions, including high-power-density GX-Series SCARA robots with patented GYROPLUS Technology, designed for complex and demanding tasks; compact, high-performance 6-axis robots, optimized for flexibility and reliability; and no-code, easy-to-use RC+ Express application development software for simple and effective integration.
Event attendees will also have a chance to experience demos of Epson’s integrated IntelliFlex Parts Feeding System, including machine vision and parts handling.
Heidenhain’s absolute modular rotary encoders
Heidenhain’s KCI 120 Dplus provides motor feedback and position measurement in one encoder.
Heidenhain’s recent release of the KCI 120 Dplus unites two rotary encoders in a single device, offering high reliability in a rugged and extremely compact design. Thanks to its low 20 mm profile, this series is great for tight installation spaces.
The rotary encoders of this series are available with functional safety and a functionally safe mechanical connection. Once integrated into an application with up to SIL 3 safety, they minimize malfunctions and facilitate the safe operation of machines and automated systems.
Kuka Robotics’ automation for human-machine collaboration
Kuka’s new KMP 600-S diffDrive mobile platform is a new automated guided vehicle system with high-speed support for production intralogistics and a payload of up to 600 kg.
Kuka Robotics will showcase several new technologies specifically geared for safely automating manufacturing processes where humans interact with robots on a regular basis. Among those technologies are the new LBR iisy cobot, the new Kuka KMP 600-S diffDrive automated mobile platform and the company’s LBR iiwa robot incorporated into an automated mobile robotic material-handling system.
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