The 2026 Western Manufacturing Exhibition (MD&M West) was held in Orange County, Southern California from February 3rd to 5th, offering a variety of activities including product displays, practical discussions, business negotiations, and over a hundred expert speeches. Concurrently, the Sustainable Manufacturing Expo 2026 and WestPack 2026 were also held.
The exhibition at the Anaheim Convention Center focused on hot topics and challenges faced by industries such as medical devices, automation, design, and manufacturing. With over 1,700 exhibitors from various countries and more than 13,500 qualified attendees registered, approximately 75% of professionals had decision-making authority and about 70% were seeking new suppliers or establishing business partnerships.
Mark Scanel from Medical Manufacturing Technologies in Charlotte, North Carolina, showcased the use of electrochemical grinding technology in the medical and aerospace fields. This technology can manufacture very small items, such as subcutaneous injection needles with a diameter of 1.57 millimeters.
According to Scanel, “Biopsy in hospitals involves taking a small piece of tissue from the body and retaining it in the needle to bring it outside. This requires high precision in the needle, which is internally ground in four-axis motion to create different cutting edges, with enough grip and cutting ability.” He further explained the complexities of guidewires used to navigate catheters within the body.
Some plastic catheters of 1-2 millimeters need to be fitted with metal rings for X-ray detection. Michael Wall demonstrated a machine that automates the process of fitting metal rings: “By tilting and melting the end of the plastic tube to narrow it, then passing it through the labeled ring and tightening the metal ring.”
Students specializing in robotics and automation from Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Beaumont, Riverside County, explored the exhibition together. Vincent, one of the students, expressed their amazement at the technological advancements in the medical field and tools exhibited at the event.
UTI, a vocational technical school, provides compressed courses focusing on basic knowledge rather than in-depth details. Jeffrey, another student, acknowledged the precision and complexity in their field after witnessing the advancements showcased at the exhibition.
Planar Motor Inc from Canada demonstrated the motion capabilities of items on an automated assembly line. Marian Schneider from the company explained the intricate process of inspection, labeling, and laser marking of each item along with predefined programming to control their movements and trajectories among different workstations.
Rockport Integration Automation from Cobb County, Georgia, displayed reasons for automated manufacturing, including labor cost reduction, enhanced productivity, improved product quality and consistency, optimized resource utilization, and heightened safety measures.
Sean Kennedy from the company highlighted the need for automation systems to address increasing labor costs, inconsistent manual inspections, and the potential for rapid product assessment and processing through automated means.
As product parts become smaller, requiring higher precision, Mecademic Industrial Robotics from Canada presented their capabilities in handling delicate tasks such as pressing buttons on the edge of a smartphone with a force as light as 0.2 millimeters.
Elsa Reinert from First Packing System in Chino, San Bernardino County, introduced their automatic wrapping machine that wraps plastic film around goods by controlling the movement using a remote. The equipment, manufactured in Italy and stored in Indiana, can be customized in size and typically delivered within 1-2 weeks for standard configurations.
Hexclpack, a Limited Liability Company from Arizona, showcased environmentally-friendly packaging materials made from recycled wood waste from the Canadian lumber industry. David Goodrich mentioned that these materials provide superior protection and are suitable for packaging various items, including food, medical supplies, and beverages.
The grid-like packaging material shown by Hexclpack can be torn easily after being wrapped around a cup without the need for scissors.