Bodine Electric Company exhibited for the first time at the MD&M West trade show in Anaheim, California from February 4 – 6, 2025. The show was rebranded this year. Previously, it was known as IME West and was made up of a collection of shows, including MD&M West and ATX West. ATX West hosted exhibitors of automation and robotics products. This year, the ATX West name was dropped for the single MD&M West name and floor space was divided into four areas: MedTech & Digital Health, Automation & Robotics (where Bodine’s booth was located), Design & Manufacturing, and Plastics & Polymers.
It is worth noting that another trade show was located in the building next door that was of particular interest to Bodine Electric. The WestPack show featured manufacturers of packaging machinery and Bodine’s gearmotors have always been very popular in that application.
Our Team
Terry Auchstetter, Director of Marketing & Product Development, made the arrangements for Bodine’s participation in this event. He was joined by Scott Seeley, Customer Service & Channel Operations Manager, and Ryan Powers, Territory Sales Engineer. This was an especially timely experience for Ryan, who had just assumed responsibility for Bodine’s sales in California and adjacent states.
Our Products
Bodine displayed six products at the show, intended to represent a cross section of our 1500 stock models and also to represent our capabilities to customize those products. A type 24A4BEPM-60P1 DC planetary gearmotor represented our smallest motor frame size, while a type 48R5BFYP AC synchronous motor represented our largest motor frame size. We also had representative examples of our right angle gearmotors and parallel shaft gearmotors.
Last, but not least, we had a sample of a Brushless DC parallel shaft gearmotor that was used in the original Amazon warehouse robot to rotate the payload. This type 22B3FEBL-Z2 gearmotor was a good conversation piece to highlight Bodine’s capability to engineer and manufacture custom versions of our standard products. This particular gearmotor features a custom die cast aluminum mounting flange with integral grease cup, a pinion attached to the driveshaft (which mated with the ring gear on the Amazon robot’s turntable), an encoder for precise servo positioning, and two plug-and-twist connectors for power and the encoder.
Our Experience
Obviously, our primary objective was to meet face-to-face with our existing customers and with prospective customers. And this we did. Some customers came to our booth as attendees. Other customers were exhibiting at the show themselves, and we visited them at their booths. These customers included manufacturers of medical equipment, material testing equipment, 3D printing machinery, packaging machinery, plastics machinery, and conveyors.
But our experience at MD&M West extended beyond meeting with our customers. It was also a great time to meet with our allies in the industry. Some of Bodine’s suppliers exhibited at the show and we got to chat with them about what’s new. Two of Bodine’s local distributors, Electric Motor Service and Power Transmission Specialists, came to visit us and strengthen our commitment to each other’s business. Another one of our distributors, Motion Ai, had their own booth at the show. We got to interact with exhibitors we’ve partnered with over the years and who make products that complement our own. Products like encoders, brakes, connectors, and speed controls. And we got to mingle with our advertising partners who help us get our message out to the word, including WTWH Media (Design World), SAE Media Group (Tech Briefs), and Informa Markets (MD&M West and Design News).
All in all, it was a great experience for Bodine Electric and we extend our thanks to everyone who visited us and everyone who facilitated our participation in the show.
