Find Out Who's Exhibiting at IME West 2023

Industry thought leaders take Center Stage at IME West, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., from Feb. 7-9, 2023.

The show remains the place where engineers, designers and decision-makers meet to discover and demo the latest products, technology and solutions. The conference offers immersive tracks on timely advanced manufacturing topics, from product design, development and emerging technologies to startup investing and medical battery developments.

Along with educational sessions, breakthrough solutions, sourcing and networking opportunities, the show enables attendees to stay ahead of industry change.

This year’s five-in-one event will see more than 1,500 exhibitors and 15,000 attendees from 70 countries converge around five stages.

Click on the links below to learn what each tradeshow is showcasing.

MD&M West is a medical technology trade show.
D&M West exhibits technologies and services that transform design and manufacturing processes.
WestPack showcases packaging and logistics industry solutions.
ATX West focuses on robotics and smart manufacturing technology.
Plastec West focuses on biocompatible polymers and cutting-edge large-scale injection molding solutions, in addition to uncovering technology solutions in medical design and manufacturing, 3D printing and robotics.

Keynote and Educational Session Teasers

Delegates can attend presentations in five educational zones offering talks on industry trends and challenges, as well as need-to-know information for the design and manufacturing industry.

On Tuesday, add the following conference sessions to your hit list:

Digital Twins in Medical Design and Manufacturing

Tues., Feb. 7, 10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m. PT

Location: Center Stage

The challenges plaguing supply chains are magnified when it comes to medical design and manufacturing. The is largely due to regulatory requirements, according to Zohair Mehkri, director of digital twin at Flex based in Silicon Valley, Calif. His discussion revolves around a solution that can help mitigate challenges in the medical industry. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a method of modeling a real-world phenomenon or system of operation as a sequence of discrete events. When DES is combined with digital twins (an exact digital and physical representation in a software environment), the results for the medical industry are palpable.

Mehkri’s keynote builds context around the following claim: “When a process or an entire factory is modeled, simulated and analyzed, medical manufacturers can save up to 70% of the time, maximize operations by increasing efficiency up to 20% and streamline project management by increasing utilization by up to 15%.”

Keynote: Medical Technology within the Metaverse—The Fundamental Shift

Tues., Feb. 7, 9 a.m.-10 a.m. PT

Location: Level 3 Ballroom

If the metaverse is going to realize its widely promised benefits, supporting technologies need to scale up, stat. In the medical industry (secure medical data notwithstanding), an ecosystem of enablers—such as VR/AR, digital twins, AI, haptics and holography—is ripe for the picking. Christopher Lafayette of GatherVerse and HoloPractice shares in his keynote the current and future state of immersive medtech in the metaverse and what this means for vendors, technologists and medical practitioners.

Smaller and Smarter. The Future of Medical Devices

Tues., Feb. 7, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. PT

Location: 212 AB

Smaller size, lower cost, more functionality. This refrain is echoed across the medical devices industry. Panelists—Cacie McDormand, PhD., engineering manager for the Americas, at Sweden-based Alleima BU Medical; Jerry Blanton, global sales and marketing manager, Alleima; and Steffen Muller, director of R&D and marketing, Endosmart—discuss why miniaturization makes for less invasive procedural techniques, less trauma during surgeries and shorter recovery times. Miniaturization can have the effect of easing the burden on healthcare infrastructure, which is being stretched by a growing number of patients with long-term health needs.

This session focuses on why miniaturization of medical devices requires ultra-fine wire components and the precision cutting and wire grinding capabilities that companies like Alleima (formerly Sandvik Materials Technology) can offer. “Smaller devices allow for more targeted therapy and are less invasive,” notes McDorman. “For suppliers this means a greater challenge. Smaller devices means that higher level of precision is needed in manufacturing the device’s components.”

Most miniaturized parts for medical devices are produced in volumes as small as roughly one-tenth of a milligram in weight, noted Alleima. This requires high precision to molding, handling and inspection.

Implementing Smart Manufacturing Solutions for Robots Using Sensor-level Protocols

Tues., Feb. 7, 3:15 p.m.-4 p.m. PT

Location: Center Stage

“Sensors are the eyes, ears and skin of a robot, and are the basic devices for gathering data for Smart Manufacturing/IIoT applications.” So says Tom Knauer, business strategy manager, Assembly, Robotics & Automation at Balluff, who puts 30 years of industrial automation industry experience to good use in his technical presentation. He outlines how sensor-level networks, such as CANbus, AS-Interface and IO-Link, greatly simplify robot start-up. His presentation focuses on how sensors connect to I/O blocks using standard cabling, reducing wiring time and troubleshooting.

Knauer notes that built-in advanced capabilities allow more and better data. For example, IO-Link sensors provide process, event and service/device data, supporting IIoT functions. These networks are easily connected to higher level Ethernet or Fieldbus protocols and can be directly accessed by control systems or cloud devices using standard gateways.