BUILD YOUR AGENDA

Explore innovations in machining, additive, automation, digital solutions, quality and more.

See a live, end-to-end manufacturing system operating continuously on the show floor.

Your front-row seat to the people shaping the industry.

Have a particular manufacturing challenge? Have a seat and discover solutions.

As manufacturing facilities move toward lights-out and highly automated production, the main throughput constraint is no longer the machine itself but the efficiency of material handling and logistics flows. While Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) provide a flexible alternative to fixed conveyor systems, integrating them into precision manufacturing environments introduces new technical challenges related to data synchronization, system interoperability, and fleet orchestration.

This technical session explores the architectural foundations required to deploy a scalable AMR framework in high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing environments. Moving beyond basic navigation and obstacle avoidance, the discussion focuses on the critical middleware layer, analyzing how interoperability enable unified control across heterogeneous robot fleets and facilitate seamless integration with existing automation infrastructure.

The presentation will also examine the technical workflow for connecting AMR fleet management systems with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and ERP platforms, enabling automated material requests and “call-for-parts” triggers directly from production processes. Particular attention will be given to robotic machine tending applications, including the precision docking requirements necessary for autonomous pallet exchange and raw material delivery at machine tool interfaces.

Finally, attendees will gain practical insights into industrial deployment considerations, including floor-load capacity for heavy-payload AMRs, battery management strategies for continuous 24/7 operations, and cybersecurity requirements for robots operating within shared industrial networks.

An overview of the evolution of ISO 10303 STEP standards and their role in enabling Model-Based Enterprise. 
Related standards such as JT, QIF, IFC, and PRC are also discussed, highlighting their specific applications in industries like automotive, inspection, architecture, and 3D document sharing.
 

A session conversation on the increased value of Shop Floor temperature compensation.

How real-time temperature compensation allows a CMM to be utilized outside of the Quality Lab environment

Overall Discussion of how Real-Time compensation delivers immediate actionable results vs. passive methods delivering derived results

Manufacturers and engineering-driven companies solve technical problems every day — improving processes, redesigning components, increasing efficiency, reducing waste, automating production lines, and developing new products. What many don’t realize is that these activities often qualify for the federal R&D Tax Credit.

This session is designed for manufacturers, plant leaders, engineers, CFOs, and technical executives who want to understand how routine innovation on the shop floor can translate into significant dollar-for-dollar tax savings.

Explore innovations in machining, additive, automation, digital solutions, quality and more.

See a live, end-to-end manufacturing system operating continuously on the show floor.

Your front-row seat to the people shaping the industry.

Have a particular manufacturing challenge? Have a seat and discover solutions.

For 30 years, CAD has belonged to a handful of incumbents. The founders building AI-native design and simulation tools make the case for what changes when generative models meet engineering workflows and where the legacy stack finally breaks.

AI is moving beyond analytics and fully integrated into operations. Physical AI, systems that perceive, reason, and act in the physical environment, is beginning to reshape how manufacturers run production, quality, and supply chain. Dayan Rodriguez outlines where Physical AI is delivering measurable value today and what it will take to scale it across the enterprise. Drawing on Microsoft work embedding technical experts and enterprise grade AI engineering inside customer operations, he offers a practical view of the technology, the operating model, and the decisions leaders need to make now. For manufacturing leaders, this is a clear look at how Physical AI moves to production, and why the next decade of competitiveness depends on getting it right.

Optically complex parts, including transparent materials, highly reflective metals, rough textures, and multi-material components, pose significant challenges for conventional surface metrology. Reconstruction errors, unstable data, and reduced defect detectability can compromise inspection confidence and downstream decisions.

This session explores how these surface conditions impact texture and defect evaluation, focusing on data validity, repeatability, and reconstruction reliability rather than nominal values alone. Real measurement examples will illustrate common failure modes and provide practical insight into recognizing measurement artifacts, validating data quality, and improving metrology strategy for complex manufacturing surfaces, while also highlighting a novel method for direct 3D surface measurement.

Explore the current trends in manufacturing technology to find out what they mean for the manufacturing sector as a whole and the wider U.S. economy. See how capital investments in machinery, measured by USTMO, consumption of cutting tools, measured by CTMR, and orders of workholding, measured by AWT, can serve as leading indicators to production and profitability.

Explore innovations in machining, additive, automation, digital solutions, quality and more.

See a live, end-to-end manufacturing system operating continuously on the show floor.

Your front-row seat to the people shaping the industry.

Have a particular manufacturing challenge? Have a seat and discover solutions.

Lace up and run to fund STEM education.

Every shop has one person who knows everything — and every shop is one retirement away from losing it. MakingChips sits down with the teams behind ProShop ERP and Ground Control to cut through AI hype: capturing tribal knowledge, automating quality paperwork, and meeting CMMC and ITAR demands without adding headcount.

Manufacturing is entering a new era where AI moves beyond answering questions to executing engineering workflows. This session explores how domain-specific AI models, manufacturing knowledge, and real-time shop-floor feedback are enabling closed-loop systems that generate, validate, optimize, and continuously improve CNC programming and machining—bringing the industry closer to true CAD-to-Part autonomy while keeping engineers in control.

Manufacturers constantly seek to optimize their processes through robotics, but for those new to automation, the first deployment can feel daunting. While the initial robot deployment is often the most challenging, true success comes from planning for future expansions. Automation, much like the machine tools it serves, should be seen as a long-term, flexible investment.This presentation will guide participants through essential considerations for automating machine tending, from robotic handling to automatic clamping on machine tables. We will explore practical strategies for investment in automation, focusing on enhancing productivity and reducing manual labor.

 

Manufacturing is built on innovation, determination, and the people who have the courage to lead, adapt, and grow throughout their careers. In this inspiring keynote, attendees will hear from a respected industry leader who will share personal insights on leadership, resilience, and navigating a meaningful career in manufacturing.

Through reflections on their own journey, the keynote will explore the moments, decisions, and relationships that shaped their path. This session will focus on the human side of leadership: embracing challenges, staying curious, and finding confidence in one’s voice and perspective.

Attendees will leave feeling energized and encouraged to continue growing as leaders while making their own mark on the manufacturing industry.

Topics Included:

• Personal leadership journeys and defining career moments
• Building confidence and authenticity as a leader
• Lessons learned from challenges and opportunities along the way
• Finding purpose and impact throughout a manufacturing career

Explore innovations in machining, additive, automation, digital solutions, quality and more.

See a live, end-to-end manufacturing system operating continuously on the show floor.

Your front-row seat to the people shaping the industry.

Have a particular manufacturing challenge? Have a seat and discover solutions.

The greatest bottleneck in modern manufacturing is no longer machine capacity, it’s the fragility of tribal knowledge. While Lean focused on waste and Six Sigma on variance, the next frontier for the high-precision shop is the transition from a manual System of Record to a proactive System of Execution: one where best practices are captured, enforced, and improved automatically rather than living in the minds of your best people.This session introduces the Intelligent Shop - a framework that treats operational expertise as a living digital asset, not a human dependency. Instead of bolting on separate systems for quality, cybersecurity, scheduling, and compliance, the Intelligent Shop embeds them into a single production workflow where compliance needs like AS90100 and CMMC become a natural byproduct of how the shop already runs.

Attendees will learn how to operationalize their best practices into repeatable digital workflows, surface production realities in real-time, embed security and quality compliance directly into daily operations, and build an operation that can onboard a new machinist on Monday and pass an audit on Friday, all without breaking stride.

The shops thriving now aren’t the ones with the best heroes. They’re the ones that build systems that get smarter the longer they operate

Live from IMTS: Manufacturing Mavericks sits down with Captain Deichler to talk about Navy additive manufacturing, why the fleet is betting big on 3D printing, and what it means for the future of defense. Real strategy, real hardware, and dad jokes guaranteed. Don't miss it.

Surface preparation, finishing, and cleaning operations face mounting pressure from labor shortages, rising costs, and heightened safety risks in hazardous environments. This session explores how embodied AI and safety-certified, explosion-proof robotics enable adaptive process innovation in finishing applications where variability and compliance constraints limit traditional automation. Attendees will learn how closed-loop, AI-driven automation software enhances safety, reduces rework and downtime, shortens changeovers, and stabilizes high-mix operations. The discussion highlights practical approaches to protecting workers, maintaining compliance, and transforming finishing processes into scalable, resilient, margin-protecting manufacturing capabilities.

Manufacturing Happy Hour started in a small automation lab in 2016 and has grown into one of the industry's most popular podcasts and source for live events and community. Jake Hall interviews host Chris Luecke in this special episode.

Explore innovations in machining, additive, automation, digital solutions, quality and more.

See a live, end-to-end manufacturing system operating continuously on the show floor.

Your front-row seat to the people shaping the industry.

Have a particular manufacturing challenge? Have a seat and discover solutions.

Five days, miles of show floor. By Friday, one question remains: of everything at IMTS 2026, what actually matters for your shop? The MakingChips hosts and guests break down the tech that mattered, debate what's next, and place their bets. We'll also announce who won the DN Solutions + Kennametal Machine Giveaway at the end.

Discover the ideas and innovations transforming manufacturing. This Main Stage session will feature industry experts sharing insights on emerging technologies, workforce trends, and the future of the industry.

The US manufacturing base needs faster access to advanced technology to compete globally. Dean Banks joins AMT's Ryan Kelly for a conversation on what that takes — policy, talent, and industrial strategy working together — and a candid look at where American manufacturing stands today.

Discover the ideas and innovations transforming manufacturing. This Main Stage session will feature industry experts sharing insights on emerging technologies, workforce trends, and the future of the industry.

Explore innovations in machining, additive, automation, digital solutions, quality and more.

See a live, end-to-end manufacturing system operating continuously on the show floor.

Your front-row seat to the people shaping the industry.

Have a particular manufacturing challenge? Have a seat and discover solutions.

Discover the ideas and innovations transforming manufacturing. This Main Stage session will feature industry experts sharing insights on emerging technologies, workforce trends, and the future of the industry.

Women aren’t waiting for an invitation to shape the future of manufacturing. This candid conversation brings together women from across the industry to talk about getting in, staying in, and stepping up — from the shop floor to leadership — and what needs to change to build the next generation of manufacturing.

Kickstart your day with the IMTS Morning Show on the IMTS+ Main Stage! Hosted by the vibrant Marley Kayden, each episode features lively interviews with industry experts, main-stage keynote speakers, manufacturers, and social media influencers. Get the scoop on must-see events and key insights to make the most of your day at IMTS.

Discover the ideas and innovations transforming manufacturing. This Main Stage session will feature industry experts sharing insights on emerging technologies, workforce trends, and the future of the industry.