Meridian Laboratory

Manufacturer information and published contact details

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

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

Capsule slip rings

ROTOCON M series (end-of-shaft)

Brushless end-of-shaft slip rings with 1 to 50 standard contacts (up to 100), up to 35 A per contact, 600 V standard or 3,500 V optional, contact resistance below 0.1 mΩ, up to 1 GHz and IP67 304 stainless housings.

Through-bore slip rings

ROTOCON MXT series (through-bore)

Brushless through-bore slip rings with 1 to 40 contacts, up to 35 A per channel, 600 V standard or 5,000 V optional and bores up to 4.00 in (101.6 mm), sealed up to IP67.

High-speed slip rings

ROTOCON UHS rotary transmitters

Ultra-high-speed rotary transmitters with 1, 4, 8 or 12 channels for instrumentation signals at 0 to 20,000 rpm, or 40,000 rpm in the high-speed version; 0.3 A and 60 V per channel, typical noise 25 µV.

High-current slip rings

ROTOCON ERG / ERGT rotary grounds

Single-contact high-current rotary grounds from 400 A to 10,000 A (ERG-10000), with a 250 A through-hole ERGT, IP65 to IP68 stainless housings and over 500 million revolutions without change in resistance.