The upcoming MD&M West show in Anaheim next month will be host to a huge variety of technologies along with co-located shows such as PLASTEC West, ATX West, and Pacific Design & Manufacturing, and special events like the Golden Mousetrap Awards.

In our sister publication Plastics Today, an article by Norbert Sparrow highlights five excellent reasons for medtech professionals to attend in the form of five different organizations exhibiting or supplying speakers to the events. They will be talking about, or exhibiting, nanobots, precision molding techniques and best practices, plastics, elastomers, and the future of medical technology.

Researchers at the Cockrell School of Engineering have built the smallest, fastest, and longest running synthetic nano motor to date.
(Source: Cockrell School of Engineering/University of Austin)

MD&M West is the largest medical manufacturing trade show and conference in North America, so it's not surprising that new technology is often introduced or discussed here. A full-day conference session on Tuesday, Feb. 9, will include a presentation by Dr. Kwanoh Kim, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering, on nanoscale robots based on groundbreaking nano motors, for use inside a patient's body.

At the Tech Theater, consultant John Bozzelli at chemicals and plastics distribution company Nexeo Solutions will give several presentations on how to achieve greater precision and performance from molded plastic parts and assemblies that have increasingly complex geometries.

NuSil Technology will showcase its line of high-strength silicones, including its new platinum-cured silicone elastomers with tensile strength up to 50% greater than existing silicone elastomers. The new elastomer, a super-strong, low-durometer, high-elongation material that doesn't compromise hysteresis or tensile set, expands design options for medical device designers.

[Visit NuSil Technology at Booth 2327 at Pacific Design & Manufacturing, Feb. 9-11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.]

PolyOne is helping to halt healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) with two new medical-grade thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) that combine enhanced resistance to commonly used antiseptic cleaners with bonding properties to plastics with improved chemical resistance. The new Versaflex HC TPEs, which resist delamination, cracking, and loss of resilience from repeated exposure to all antiseptics, can be overmolded onto device housings, and have successfully passed 10,000 antiseptic wipe testings.

The pictured medical device housing incorporates Versaflex HC TPE bumpers from PolyOne overmolded on a rigid substrate.
(Source: PolyOne)

[Visit PolyOne at Booth 848 at Pacific Design & Manufacturing, Feb. 9-11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.]

Sparrow's fifth reason to attend is one of several keynote speakers at MD&M West: a man who has been described as "the ultimate thinking machine" by Forbes magazine and "the restless genius" by the Wall Street Journal. Ray Kurzweil, futurist and inventor, will talk on Wednesday, Feb. 10, about how the democratization of innovation is transforming medical technology, among many other sectors. The other keynote speakers at MD&M West are Dave Zaboski, a master animation artist; and Dominique Courbin and Stephanie Valderrama of Limbitless Solutions. All three keynote speeches are open to all attendees and will be held from 9 to 9:45 a.m. each day.

Read more about this topic in Sparrow's article, "Five reasons why Anaheim will be the happiest place on Earth for medtech professionals next month," on Plastics Today.

READ MORE ARTICLES ON THE UPCOMING ANAHEIM SHOW:

Ann R. Thryft is senior technical editor, materials & assembly, for Design News. She's been writing about manufacturing- and electronics-related technologies for 27 years, covering manufacturing materials & processes, alternative energy, and robotics. In the past, she's also written about machine vision and all kinds of communications.

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