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Company profile

Meridian Laboratory

Meridian Laboratory is a Wisconsin company, in business since 1963, that makes ROTOCON brushless slip rings with contact resistance below 0.1 mΩ, high-current rotary grounds up to 10,000 A and UHS rotary transmitters up to 40,000 rpm. Contact: +1 608 836 7571, Info@MeridianLab.com.

Meridian Laboratory at a glance
Legal nameMeridian Laboratory
Founded1963
HeadquartersMiddleton, WI 53562, United States
Websitemeridianlab.com

Meridian Laboratory contact details

Head office

2415 N. Pleasant View Rd.
Middleton, WI 53562
United States

Telephone +1 608 836 7571

Email Info@MeridianLab.com

Website meridianlab.com

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Contact details as published by Meridian Laboratory, checked 2026-10-30. Specify Motion is not affiliated with Meridian Laboratory.

Meridian Laboratory product lines

ROTOCON M seriesEnd-of-shaft multi-channel slip rings, up to 100 contacts and 35 A
ROTOCON MXT seriesThrough-bore slip rings with bores up to 4.00 in
ROTOCON ERG / ERGTHigh-current rotary grounds from 250 A to 10,000 A
ROTOCON UHSUltra-high-speed rotary transmitters, 20,000 to 40,000 rpm
MM, MXO, HLMX and MXVHigh-speed miniature, harsh-environment, hazardous-location and high-voltage rings
FORJ and RU combinationsSlip rings integrated with fibre-optic rotary joints or rotary unions
ML6 PolyurethanePrecision moulded polyurethane products

Who Meridian Laboratory is

Meridian Laboratory is a Wisconsin manufacturer best known for ROTOCON slip rings. ROTOCON products use a brushless contact design rather than conventional brushes rubbing on rings, which Meridian says removes friction, wear and maintenance. The result is very low, stable contact resistance and electrical noise, which suits power, instrumentation and data on rotating machinery.

Meridian also runs an ML6 Polyurethane division making precision moulded polyurethane products.

History and ownership

Meridian Laboratory says it has served manufacturers, engineers and machine builders since 1963. Its website does not name owners, founders or a parent company, so we have not stated them.

Product portfolio

ROTOCON slip rings share some published characteristics: contact resistance below 0.1 mΩ, 304 stainless steel housings on many models, sealing up to IP67, and an ambient limit of 70 °C. Meridian says their electrical performance does not change with speed across the rated range.

  • The ROTOCON M series mounts on the end of a shaft. Standard builds have 1 to 50 contacts (up to 100 in total), each rated up to 35 A, at 600 V standard or 3,500 V optional. Electrical noise is below 0.01 µV, and data up to 1 GHz is possible depending on model.
  • The ROTOCON MXT series is the through-bore version, with 1 to 40 contacts, 35 A per channel, 600 V standard or up to 5,000 V optional, and bores up to 4.00 in (101.6 mm).
  • The ROTOCON UHS rotary transmitters carry 1, 4, 8 or 12 instrumentation channels at 0 to 20,000 rpm, or 40,000 rpm in the high-speed version, at 0.3 A and 60 V per channel with typical noise of 25 µV.
  • The ROTOCON ERG / ERGT rotary grounds carry very high currents through one contact, from 400 A to 10,000 A (ERG-10000), with a 250 A through-hole ERGT. Meridian quotes more than 500 million revolutions without a change in resistance.

Other series include MM miniature high-speed rings (3,000 to 10,000 rpm), MXO harsh-environment rings, HLMX hazardous-location (explosion-proof) rings, MXV high-voltage rings above 600 V, wireline collectors, and combinations with fibre-optic rotary joints (FORJ) and rotary unions (RU).

Technologies

Meridian’s brushless contact design is its main differentiator. Low and stable contact resistance matters most in three cases: very high currents (welding, plating), where resistance turns into heat; low-level signals such as thermocouples and strain gauges, where noise corrupts measurements; and data links, where contact bounce causes errors. The UHS series publishes a typical thermal EMF of 2 µV for this reason.

See how slip rings work, contact vs contactless slip rings, explosion-proof ATEX slip rings and how to select a slip ring.

Industries served

Meridian lists rotary welding, electroplating, rotary cutting, sputtering and coating, electropolishing and cable reels for its rotary grounds. Its UHS transmitters target aerospace, wind turbine control, dynamometers, machinery monitoring, automotive testing and satellite transmission.

Worked example: a welding positioner ground

A robotic welding positioner draws 500 A at up to 100 % duty. A conventional brush ground at this current needs regular brush changes. The ERG-800 (800 A) gives margin over the 500 A load, and Meridian allows 100 % overload for under 60 seconds, which covers arc strikes. Check the mounting style (end-of-shaft stud or flange) against the positioner design.

Things that catch engineers out

  • Speed per model. ROTOCON speed limits are model-dependent; ask for the figure rather than assuming it.
  • Temperature. The 70 °C ambient limit matters near ovens and welding heat.
  • Hazardous areas. Use the HLMX series where explosive atmospheres are present, and confirm the certification for your zone.

Choosing between M, MXT and MM

Use the M series where the ring can sit on the end of a shaft, because it gives the most contacts in the smallest diameter. Choose the MXT when cables, shafts or fluid lines must pass through the centre, and check that its bore (up to 4.00 in) clears them. For small, fast spindles in the 3,000 to 10,000 rpm range, look at the MM miniature series, and above 10,000 rpm at the UHS transmitters, which carry low-current instrumentation signals rather than power.

Global and UK presence

Meridian Laboratory lists only its Middleton, Wisconsin site and no UK office or distributors. UK engineers can contact the company directly by phone or email, allowing for the time difference with Wisconsin.

What to send when specifying a slip ring

Send the circuit count, current and voltage per circuit, signal and data types, speed, bore or shaft, environment, IP rating and any hazardous-area classification.

Specify Motion is independent of Meridian Laboratory and is not a distributor for the company. Our engineers can help source ROTOCON products or propose equivalents from our supply network on published figures; see find a replacement or the slip rings hub.

Meridian Laboratory history: key dates

  1. 1963Meridian Laboratory begins serving manufacturers, according to its website

Meridian Laboratory slip rings

Frequently asked questions

What is the Meridian Laboratory website?

Meridian Laboratory's official website is meridianlab.com. It lists the ROTOCON slip ring series with ratings, the ML6 polyurethane division, application notes and contact details.

What is Meridian Laboratory's phone number and email?

Meridian Laboratory publishes +1 608 836 7571 and Info@MeridianLab.com on its website. Both are general sales and enquiry contacts.

Where is Meridian Laboratory based?

Meridian Laboratory is at 2415 N. Pleasant View Rd., Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, USA. The website lists no other sites.

Who owns Meridian Laboratory?

Meridian Laboratory's website says it has served manufacturers since 1963 but does not name owners or a parent company. We found no published ownership statement on its official pages.

Does Meridian Laboratory have a UK distributor?

Meridian Laboratory's website lists no UK office or distributor on the pages we read. UK engineers can contact the Wisconsin office directly. Specify Motion is independent of Meridian Laboratory and can help source its products or propose equivalents.

What does Meridian Laboratory make?

Meridian Laboratory makes ROTOCON brushless slip rings (end-of-shaft, through-bore, miniature high-speed, harsh-environment, hazardous-location, high-voltage and wireline types), high-current rotary grounds, ultra-high-speed rotary transmitters, slip ring and rotary union or fibre-optic combinations, and moulded polyurethane parts.

Sources

  1. Meridian Laboratory: home page
  2. Meridian Laboratory: ROTOCON M series
  3. Meridian Laboratory: ROTOCON MXT series
  4. Meridian Laboratory: ROTOCON UHS series
  5. Meridian Laboratory: ROTOCON ERG/ERGT series

Figures are summarised from the sources above and from manufacturers' published data on the date shown. Always confirm against the current datasheet for your exact part.

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