West Manufacturing News • August 2024 • IMTS 2024 Spotlights Automation Solutions

To expand an automation strategy or take the first step on an automation journey, IMTS 2024—The International Manufacturing Technology Show offers contract manufacturers, job shops and OEMs the opportunity to explore thousands of innovative and ready-todeploy solutions to address their workforce, quality and efficiency issues.

Held at McCormick Place in Chicago on September 9-14, 2024, IMTS 2024 will feature the new Automation Sector, accelerated by SPS—smart production solutions in the North Building, which features companies specializing in robots, collaborative robots (cobots), motion control, data management and automation integration. Additionally, exhibits throughout IMTS will demonstrate automated solutions for CNC machining, additive manufacturing (AM), vision systems, metrology, tooling, workholding, abrasive machining, gear generation, parts handling and cleaning and other manufacturing technologies.

“Automation is omnipresent at IMTS because exhibitors know industry needs automation technologies to leverage worker productivity and boost business profitability,” said Peter R. Eelman, Chief Experience Officer, AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS. “IMTS provides an unmatched opportunity to make headto- head evaluations and discover how easy it has become to deploy these systems. Visitors will also discover hundreds of new ways to incorporate automation, including functions they could not imagine would be automated.”

Ian Stringer, Vice President of Data Strategy at AMT, said that “The push toward greater adoption of industrial automation is influenced by an aging workforce and geopolitical uncertainties that have increased defense spending and led to a revitalization of the U.S. supply chain.”

Stringer noted that capital intensity (the amount of capital utilized per unit of labor) has surged nearly 12% from 2017 to 2023, according to the March 21 economic news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to Stringer, this figure “is solid evidence” of a significant shift toward more capital-intensive and labor-efficient manufacturing processes facilitated by the automation solutions shown at IMTS 2024.

“From reshoring initiatives and workspace optimization to production capacity and workforce shortages, multiple issues are often at play when companies are looking to invest in automation technology,” said Doug Burnside, Vice President of North American Sales and Marketing for Yaskawa Motoman (IMTS booth 236601). “For smaller companies, collaborative palletizing and welding are two easy options for first steps into automation. The systems deploy rapidly and have user-friendly pendants.”

Go to IMTS.com to register to attend IMTS 2024, plan your visit and access AMT’s Global Housing Solutions for the best hotel booking experience and room and price guarantees.