From Concept to Design and Execution

In late May 2026, a mobile workstation and wall mount company contacted MMI while launching a new line of carts. Its six-button control module did not have an IP rating, and the company needed a solution that could be installed over the controls for use in healthcare settings.

Working from the module and design requirements, our engineers used their materials expertise to design a silicone drape that covered the buttons and allowed the control surface to be cleaned with hospital-grade wipes and disinfectants.

After a previous successful collaboration on a keyboard and mouse solution for a healthcare All-in-One computer, a Fortune 100 OEM partner approached Man & Machine in May 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, for help with a new project.

This time, they needed to make high-touch printer surfaces easier to clean in clinical settings without redesigning the printers or disrupting everyday use. The touchscreen posed the greatest challenge. A protective barrier still had to allow clear viewing, with accurate touch input and swipe gestures.

MMI designed custom-fitted silicone drapes for the printer touchscreens, control areas, handles and other frequently touched surfaces for seven multifunction printer models. Through multiple prototypes, MMI and the OEM partner’s engineering team refined the fit, visibility, and touch performance across the printer platforms. We also developed the tooling, labeling, and packaging needed for production.

MMI was able to deliver the kits on time and within budget. The project ultimately grew into a multi-model healthcare accessory program. It gave the OEM partner a way to add reusable, cleanable protection to its printers while retaining the underlying hardware and familiar controls.

A global manufacturer of anesthesiology machines was developing a device for U.S. military hospitals. It needed keyboards and mice that could be cleaned and disinfected with EPA-approved disinfectant wipes. MMI was initially ranked second to a lower-priced alternative.

We met with the final decision maker, a U.S. Navy anesthesiologist, to understand what clinicians needed in the operating room. The selected solution combined a compact keyboard, custom USB cable length, magnetic keyboard and mouse attachment, and multi-level backlighting. The peripherals would be built and serviced in the USA.

The compact layout allowed a smaller tray. Switching the tray from plastic to powder-coated steel let the integrated magnets attach the peripherals without tape or hook-and-loop fasteners, which can trap bioburden. After years of use, the client reported no failures, continued regular orders, and partnered with MMI on additional healthcare products.

A leading U.S. software company was launching a tablet and needed a mobile point-of-sale solution so associates could take payments away from a traditional register. Its rugged tablet and new payment gateway required a magnetic stripe reader with a specially designed encrypted reader head, additional USB and Ethernet ports, and an attachment using the tablet’s existing dock connectors.

MMI designed, prototyped, tested, and manufactured a solution to those requirements. An initial 580 units were delivered within six weeks, giving the client time to test and roll out the system before the holiday deadline. Subsequent orders supported new locations, and the customer later engaged MMI on a larger project.

In 2011, a mobile workstation manufacturer asked MMI to develop a custom reboot switch, the “Micro-Doc,” for hospital carts used to collect electronic medical record data. The carts housed laptops inside locked compartments to reduce theft and power use. If a laptop froze, clinical staff could not reach its reboot switch without a key and an IT service call.

MMI developed an external reboot switch compatible with several laptop models. Our team identified and sourced the required pin connectors, including for models nearing end of life, then engineered and built the Micro-Doc at our U.S. facility. The solution was delivered on time and on budget so the manufacturer could retrofit its carts.