2026 Buyer’s Guide: Safety Product Releases
Helmets Feature Enhanced Optics, Smart Controls and Bluetooth Connectivity
Three bold graphic designs in Lincoln Electric’s (Cleveland, OH) VIKING™ 3350 ADV Welding Helmet line combine advanced technology with eye-catching style for welders who want performance and personality.
The new designs include:
- Mythical: Explosive neon hues and a fierce dragon centerpiece for a high-energy look.
- Red Strike: A deep crimson base with electrified lightning accents for a sleek, powerful aesthetic.
- Graffiti: Black-and-white, graffiti-inspired artwork for welders who value creativity and individuality.
The VIKING 3350 ADV series delivers comfort, durability, and superior optical clarity with Lincoln Electric’s industry-leading 4C Lens Technology and advanced auto-darkening features. These new designs let welders express their personality without sacrificing performance. Plus, Lincoln Electric offers a best-in-class 5-year warranty for all VIKING 3350 ADV series helmets.
Lincoln Electric remains committed to delivering helmets that welders love and trust. With the new Mythical, Red Strike, and Graffiti designs, the VIKING 3350 ADV continues to push the boundaries of clarity, comfort and control — helping welders see clearer and weld with confidence.
Safe Overview of Machine Lifecycle in One Platform
With its new MYZEL Lifecycle Platform, automation expert Pilz (Canton, MI) is offering a Software-as-a-Service solution for centralized management of machinery and personnel. The digital platform helps production managers and safety officers to operate their machinery safely, securely, efficiently and in compliance with standards, throughout the entire lifecycle.
As an expert in safety and security throughout the machine lifecycle, Pilz is adding a digital platform to its comprehensive services and product portfolio. In this first release, the MYZEL Lifecycle Platform helps users to manage their personnel and machinery, and at the same time comply with laws and safety requirements.
With this platform, operators digitally map their production sites in the MYZEL Lifecycle Platform, including all machines and users. Then all the relevant machine artifacts are stored in myCore. These may be operating manuals, certificates, logs or employee data, for example. These documents can be accessed anytime, anywhere, via the integrated Asset Management system, improving the overview of your machinery.
In addition, users can choose initially from three different workflows, which they can subscribe to and use on a monthly basis as required:
- mySafeDesign: The workflow for safe machine design guides the user through the risk assessment or validation — for both new and existing machines.
- mySafeOperation: The workflow for safe machine operation provides users with support for maintenance and inspection in accordance with legal requirements.
- myAccessControl: The workflow for industrial access management is available to manage employees’ individual entry and access rights.
Innovative Safety and Productivity Solutions
Rite-Hite (Milwaukee, WI), a global leader in industrial safety and productivity solutions, will demonstrate its “Safer teams. Smarter facilities.” approach at MODEX 2026, which is taking place in Atlanta (GA) this month.
As throughput demands rise and labor availability tightens, facilities have less tolerance for downtime or risk. Loading docks, doorways and interior traffic zones have become critical pressure points. Rite-Hite will demonstrate how combining physical safety, traffic management and digital visibility help teams protect people, maintain flow and support reliable equipment performance.
“Everything we do starts with safety,” said Micaela Bomhack, CEO of Rite-Hite. “When people are protected at the points of highest risk, productivity improves and uptime follows. Our solutions are designed to work together so facilities can operate with greater confidence, control and consistency.” Building on this foundation, the new Dok-Commander® Pro brings safety intelligence directly to the dock. Connected sensors translate dock activity into on-screen visibility at the controller, highlighting events such as forklift cycles and impacts to Rite-Hite exclusive Safe-T-Lip® levelers. Over-the-air updates keep controls current without service delays, supporting safe, consistent dock operation and future capabilities.
Lok-Vu® Pro delivers industry-exclusive dock-side confirmation with upgraded digital video, providing clearer visual confidence before loading begins. The interior display confirms trailer arrival, safe vehicle restraint engagement, and trailer stand presence.
Rite-Hite ONE supports smarter facilities by connecting dock, door and interior safety systems to provide shared visibility into activity, utilization and conditions across the facility. With real-time insight, teams can identify constraints sooner, prioritize attention where flow is most impacted and respond faster to emerging issues.
New Energy Storage Cabinets
DENIOS (Louisville, KY) offers the third generation energy storage cabinets from asecos, which are designed specifically for storing, or charging and storing lithium-ion batteries. Available in one- or two-door models, these new cabinets feature insulated shelves designed to help slow the spread of fire between storage levels during a lithium-ion battery incident.
The shelf design supports asecos’ safety philosophy of allowing the event to burn itself out while limiting internal escalation, supporting waste heat dissipation and enabling rapid smoke detection within the cabinet. When coupled with an optional fire alarm that can connect to the facility’s alarm system, this system quickly notifies teams if smoke/heat/fire is detected inside the cabinet. An optional fire suppression system is also available.
With 90 minutes of fire resistance from outside to inside (type 90 / type tested in accordance with EN 14470-1), and for more than 90 minutes fire resistance for fires from inside to outside, these purpose-built cabinets protect against fire hazards due to thermal runaway, deep discharge, mechanical deformation or chemical reaction.
Each cabinet is equipped with a transport base with forklift pockets to allow rapid movement in case of an incident. Once the cabinet is outside of the building at a safe location, rescue personnel can identify any further measures necessary.
Revolutionary Impact Protection for Hands
HexArmor’s (Grand Rapids, MI) impact protection gloves include the HexArmor Helix 3004IMP, 3013IMP and 3014IMP for heavy-duty applications, which benefit from a truly exceptional technology: i2™. With a 30% slimmer profile and 44% lighter weight than competitor materials, i2 impact technology delivers unmatched flexibility and comfort, offering protection that performs as well as it feels — another industry-first from HexArmor. HexArmor is closely aligned with the Uvex Safety Group.
The HexArmor Helix 3013IMP with its flexible polyurethane coating on the palm is suitable for tasks such as precision work within the automotive industry, within mechanical and plant engineering and — thanks to cut protection level F — within metalworking as well. The HexArmor Helix 3014IMP has a somewhat more robust SandyGrip NBR coating; its good oil grip makes it ideal for use within mining and the oil and gas industry. What both models share is a high level of wearer comfort thanks to the ultra-thin, extremely cut-resistant 18-gauge knitted fabric with 15% recycled nylon — a first for this protection class.
