You can’t afford to miss IMTS 2012

Today’s manufacturers face many challenges. It doesn’t matter if you are an OEM or a supplier, odds are you are being pressured to compress product development cycle time, work with increasingly difficult-to-machine materials, incorporate lean manufacturing, and improve collaboration across the supply chain all in the name of providing the customer with an affordable, quality product.

Finding a solution to any of these challenges may not be as difficult as you think. IMTS 2012 holds the answers to these problems and delves into other areas of concern as well.

As an IMTS attendee, you will find that the show delivers unlimited potential to improve your competitive position. There will be more than 1,500 exhibiting companies, occupying 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space at IMTS 2012, which takes place at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, September 10-15, 2012. More than 15,000 new machine tools, controls, computers, software, components, systems, and processes to improve efficiency will be on display. This is a real opportunity to gain valuable insights and ideas to improve operations. So, as you peruse the pages of this special IMTS 2012 issue, I think you will agree with me that this is a must attend show for serious-minded manufacturers seeking productivity improvements.

To further your experience at IMTS 2012, and making its first appearance at IMTS is the Hannover, Germany-based IANA (Industrial Automation North America) pavilion, providing attendees with global insight into where the industrial automation, microsystems technology, and electrical, as well as IT and software industries are going, and what the state-of-the-art offers today. In addition, the Emerging Technology Center will feature four technologies: Collaborative Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, MT Connect Applications, and MT Insight. This year, the Collaborative Manufacturing section will feature a live, on-site car build done by Local Motors, an open-source automaker that collaborates with a community of engineers and designers.

Last, but certainly not least, there is still time to sign up for the IMTS 2012 Conferences. There are 72 presentations scheduled during the week of IMTS, which encompass five topic tracks – Materials, Quality/Metrology, Manufacturing Technology, Alternative Manufacturing Processes, and Plant Operations. The presentations explore answers and solutions to problems involving productivity improvements. Best of all, the subjects discussed offer practical solutions you can take back to your facility for immediate implementation. So, if you are looking to make a positive impact in a relatively short period, you owe it to yourself, and to your organization, to carefully look over the schedule of presentations and make a selection based on your needs and priorities.

While you are attending the show, I hope you set some time aside to visit our booth (W-100) to introduce yourself and look around. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough space to mention all the displays that will be in our booth, so, please flip to page 12 to read about them. I think you will be impressed.

I look forward to seeing you at IMTS 2012.

tgrasson@gie.net