FlexMation Heads to MD&M Midwest 2026: Lean Forward With Smarter Manufacturing Flow

This October, FlexMation will join manufacturers, engineers, operations professionals and industry leaders at MD&M Midwest 2026, one of the Midwest’s largest gatherings for advanced manufacturing. The show runs October 28–29 at the Minneapolis Convention Center — just up the road from our home in Burnsville, Minnesota.

MD&M Midwest is much broader than a medical-device trade show. It brings five connected sectors under one roof: MedTech, Automation, Design & Manufacturing, Plastics and Packaging. More than 5,000 attendees and 575 exhibitors are expected, from medical devices and pharmaceuticals to aerospace, automotive, defense, electronics, warehousing and food & beverage.

What ties all of those industries together is the work on the floor: people, parts and materials that need to move safely and efficiently. That’s exactly where FlexMation lives. So for us, MD&M isn’t about showing off a product catalog. It’s about showing how better process design helps operations move better.

Lean Forward: How We Think About the Work

Lean Forward is the philosophy behind everything we do. It starts with understanding the work, not with picking a product. We look at how operators, materials and equipment interact, then find ways to improve movement, presentation, replenishment, ergonomics, safety and workflow.

Every project we take on follows the same progression:

1. Understand the process. Watch how the work actually happens — where people reach, wait, walk or lift.
2. Improve the movement. Get parts and materials to the point of use in the right order, at the right height, at the right time.
3. Build around the people and the work. Design workstations, racks and carts that fit the operator and the task, not the other way around.
4. Keep the operation moving forward. Build flexible, modular solutions that can adapt as products, volumes and teams change.

The result is what we’ve always promised our customers: work that’s done Better. Safer. Faster. Smarter.

What You’ll See at Our Booth

Our booth (#1720) is built to show connected processes, not standalone equipment. Rather than lining up products on display, we’re bringing that Lean Forward philosophy to life through working examples of how material moves through a manufacturing operation:

• Material flow — getting parts from storage to the point of use with fewer touches and less wasted motion.
• FIFO movement — first-in, first-out presentation that keeps inventory fresh and lines running in the right sequence.
• Replenishment — refilling workstations from the back so operators never have to stop and search.
• Mobility — carts, tuggers and push-pull assists that move material safely and with less strain.
• Return flow — bringing empty totes and containers back into the loop instead of letting them pile up.

Together, these examples show how connected processes improve the four outcomes we focus on: safety, productivity, wellbeing and flow.

You’ll also be able to learn about FlexMation’s broader capabilities through our booth video presentation and capabilities brochure. They cover the full range of challenges we help solve, from ergonomic workstations and FIFO flow racks to machine safety guarding, process enclosures and error-proofing technology.

Bring Us the Challenge

You don’t need a finished drawing to start a conversation with FlexMation. Some of our best projects began with a single sentence:

• “This area isn’t working very well.”
• “Our operators are reaching too far.”
• “We need a better way to move material.”
• “This equipment needs to change.”

That’s enough to get started. From there, we’ll ask questions, look at how the work flows today and talk through what could move better.

At MD&M, we’re not simply showing what we’ve built. We’re showing how we think about the work. So bring us the process that isn’t working the way you want it to. Whether it’s material flow, workstation ergonomics, equipment modifications or a completely new manufacturing challenge, we’re ready to dig in.

Who Should Stop By

If people, parts or materials move through your operation, there’s a conversation worth having. We’d especially like to meet:

• MedTech and manufacturing engineers designing cleaner, more repeatable assembly cells.
• Packaging engineers looking to smooth material supply and return flow on the line.
• Operations managers and plant leaders chasing better throughput, fewer injuries and less wasted motion.
• Continuous improvement and lean teams turning kaizen ideas into practical, adaptable equipment.

Whether you build medical devices, aerospace components, electronics or consumer goods, the challenges of safety, productivity, wellbeing and flow look surprisingly similar — and so do the solutions.

Visit FlexMation at MD&M Midwest 2026

Booth 1720 Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN

Be our guest. As a FlexMation contact, you can get a complimentary expo pass plus a discount on the MD&M conference. Contact FlexMation before you register for custom discount codes and deals and we’ll see you on the show floor.

Can’t make it to Minneapolis? Request a free consultation or call us at 952-898-1311. Bring us the challenge — we’ll help you lean forward.