IMTS is back—two years late and not a moment too soon.
North America’s largest manufacturing trade event returns to Chicago’s McCormick Place Sept. 12-17 for the first time in four years. The biennial event was cancelled in 2020 due to the global pandemic, and the intervening time has seen global economic, social and technological changes that have had a profound effect on the manufacturing sector.
The return of the International Manufacturing Technology Show, presented by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). will reflect all that has changed since the last IMTS staging in 2018.
“Conferences at IMTS 2022 offer a deeper dive into the technologies exhibited on the show floor, the chance to network with subject matter experts and like-minded peers, and the opportunity for professional growth,” said Bonnie Gurney, vice president – strategic partnerships for AMT, in a press release touting the opening of registration for the 2022 event.
With a focus on the full array of technologies in modern manufacturing, IMTS will provide a forum for every aspect of plant floor technology and strategy.
With the digital revolution in manufacturing gaining momentum, Hannover Fairs USA will once again present Hannover Messe USA as a co-located event at IMTS. The theme for Hannover Messe USA is “Accelerate Industrial Transformation,” and this year’s event will take a comprehensive look at how manufacturing impacts many of the key issues facing the world.
“Global politics, climate change and inflation underscore how important topics such as automation and digitalization are,” said Ed Nichols, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA, in a press release. “Many industrial companies are scrambling to secure energy and materials supply while juggling environmental concerns. Exhibitors at Hannover Messe USA show how to manufacture sustainably while increasing profit margins.”
Education Plays a Key Role
The 2022 edition of IMTS will feature exhibitors from across the vast spectrum of manufacturing equipment suppliers. The show also brings together some of the brightest minds in manufacturing to look at how to take full advantage of that technology.
Among the key educational sessions and symposium are:
IMTS Investor Forum: This discussion will feature show floor tours and information about the $65 billion manufacturing technology to help investors evaluate opportunities in manufacturing.
The Smarter Sourcing Symposium at IMTS 2022: Supply chain is a significant issue for manufacturers, and the first Smarter Sourcing Symposium will look at how to leverage domestics and regional parts suppliers.
OPC Foundation Conference: Presented by Hannover Messe USA, the OPC UA seminar will focus on the range of industrial interoperability from sensor to cloud computing and the support for the OPC UA standard.
Technology Leadership Summit: ASME will present a discussion around the big topics in digital transformation, including big data, digital twin, robotics and additive manufacturing. The event also will feature a show floor tour.
Focus on the Future
Workforce development remains a critical issue for manufacturing’s growth, and a series of sessions at IMTS plan to focus on the broad issues of employee recruitment as well as the need for greater expansion of manufacturing demographic and greater cooperation among public and private partnerships.
The Solutions Theater at Hannover Messe USA will present a series of case studies and discussions around how advanced manufacturing issues such as connectivity, artificial intelligence and a smarter workforce are being addressed by associations and consortiums. The CESMII: The Smart Manufacturing Institute will lead the discussion with participation from such organizations as Automation Alley, German American Chamber of Commerce, Control System Integrators Association and Open Process Automation Forum.
IMTS Specialty Program: Job Shops Workshop Day 1: The issue of worker recruitment and retention in job shops will be addressed at a workshop on Sept. 12. The workshop will focus on worker development and retention as well as panel discussions on how best to implement digital manufacturing to improve operations. The Technology & Manufacturing Association will discuss the issue of effective marketing in manufacturing.
Another important issue is how to attract and retain more women in manufacturing, and IMTS will feature a focused symposium on that topic. The IMTS Women Make Manufacturing Move program will include a Sept. 12 reception at McCormick Place and a Sept. 14 luncheon and presentation.