This is part of our series covering automation technologies you can find at IMTS 2026. Check out our other articles: Robotic Solutions,Tool Change and Management Automation Solutions, Workholding Automation Innovations, Quality Control and Inspection Automation Solutions, Automated Scrap and Coolant Solutions, Digital Solutions that Improve Shopfloor Productivity, Advanced Machine Tool Automation Features, and Automation Solutions for Secondary Processes.Lights-out manufacturing is no longer just for the biggest players. Smarter, more accessible automation tools are helping shops of all sizes keep machines running — and profits growing — around the clock. From bar feeders and pallet pools to autonomous robots and RFID-enabled error-proofing, IMTS 2026 will showcase breakthrough technologies designed to move materials efficiently, reduce downtime, and unlock true unattended operation. Here are 10 standout systems you’ll want to see: 1. Bar Feeders for Lathes: Bar feeders are one of the most effective and efficient ways to automate CNC lathes, allowing lathes to run unattended through an entire bar, spitting out finished parts one after another. Modern bar feeders can hold multiple bars and automatically feed the next one, enabling hours of continuous turning. LNS North America, Edge Technologies, and Bucci/IEMCA Industries offer advanced bar feeder systems engineered for high-efficiency, lights-out machining with features like fast changeovers, vibration control, servo-driven operation, and seamless integration with CNC lathes to maximize unattended production. Big bar stock requires a big bar feeder! 2. Rotary Part Accumulators: When turning small parts on a bar-fed CNC lathe, handling the finished pieces can be a bottleneck. Enter the part accumulator – e.g., Royal Products’ Rota-Rack, an automatic rotating table that safely collects finished parts from a lathe. It can provide hours of highly profitable, unmanned production by stacking parts in a controlled way. Such devices ensure that a lights-out run isn’t cut short by parts spilling all over or getting damaged; instead, they are neatly collected for inspection or packing later. 3. Conveyor Systems for Part Transfer: Small conveyor belts or chute systems can automatically carry parts from one operation to the next or simply out of the machine into a bin. For example, a machining cell might use conveyors to link a mill and a lathe, so a robot or gravity can transfer parts between them. Even simple conveyor setups (with sensors or escapements to singulate parts) can eliminate manual part carrying. They also serve to remove finished work from the machine area, allowing longer unattended stretches before a human needs to empty a bin. Bunting Magnetics offers a range of conveyor systems — including cleated, magnetic, and low-profile models — designed for efficient, automated part transfer in manufacturing environments. 4. Flexible Pallet Pools: Going beyond a two-pallet changer, pallet pool systems offer a large rack of pallets (e.g., 10, 20 or more) feeding one or multiple machines. An integrated scheduler software queues jobs so that whenever a machine is free, it grabs the next pallet to cut. This is a powerful lights-out solution. For applications requiring extended unattended run-time, pallet pools may be the most efficient automation solution. Brian Olson, co-owner of Olson Custom Designs. “We were able to put in a Kitamura Supercell-300G five-axis horizontal machining center with a 20-station pallet pool on the floor and ramp up our production to meet their needs.” Once fully loaded with material, the cell can run for 35 hours unattended. Pallet pools excel for high-mix production — each pallet can hold a different part, and the machine will autonomously work through the schedule overnight. pallet automation5. Autonomous Mobile Robots for Logistics: Beyond fixed conveyors, some shops are now using autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to handle internal logistics. These self-driving platforms can be programmed to pick up a tray of finished parts from a machine, deliver it to QC or shipping, then bring fresh raw material from the warehouse back to the machine. This kind of “material taxi” can operate 24/7. MuL Technologies offer MARC, a mobile autonomous robotic cart leveraging AI-based self-navigation moving more than 200 pounds and is a fifth of the cost of other intelligent carts. 6. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS): Think of a vending machine for parts or tools — an AS/RS is a computerized storage system (often a vertical carousel or lift) that can store dozens or hundreds of items and deliver them automatically to an operator or robot. In a machine shop, AS/RS units can be used to store cutting tools, fixtures, or even raw material blanks, retrieving them as needed for production. Some pallet-based machining cells also use AS/RS racks to queue up jobs. Modula offers vertical and horizontal systems to save floor space and ensure the right item is delivered when needed without manual search, adding efficiency and organization. 7. Automatic Pallet Changers (APC): For milling machines and machining centers, an APC swaps workpiece pallets in and out of the machine’s work area automatically. This means you can set up the next job on one pallet while the machine is cutting on the other, with near-zero spindle downtime between jobs. Companies like MIDACO offer retrofit APC systems that easily adapt to existing CNC machines, allowing shops to add automated pallet changes to their current equipment. Chad Sesing, vice president and plant manager at JTD Enterprises, was so impressed at IMTS that he installed a MIDACO pallet changer on the company’s Haas mill and quickly reaped the benefits. More pallets = more productivity.8. Automated Guided Carts and Shuttles: Simpler than fully autonomous robots, guided carts follow a fixed path (like magnetic tape on the floor) to shuttle materials around. They can be a cost-effective way to link processes — for instance, a cart that periodically rolls by all CNC machines and picks up completed part trays, then stops by the wash station and delivers them. HITO offers guided shuttle systems set on timers or triggered by calls (like a “call button” when a machine’s part catcher is full). This kind of automation addresses the mundane task of moving parts so that skilled workers don’t have to. 9. Overhead Crane Automation: In shops dealing with very heavy workpieces or molds, overhead cranes are common — and even these can be automated. Crane systems with CNC controls or pre-programmed positions can automatically move large parts from station to station. Although typically requiring safety considerations, automating a gantry crane to load a heavy fixture into a machine at night, can extend lights-out capabilities to workpieces that are too large for a robot. Gorbel features modern cranes that integrate with sensors to precisely place loads repeatably. 10. Poka-Yoke Part Transfer (Error-Proofing): Automation in material handling often includes error-proofing features to prevent costly mistakes. For example, RFID tags or QR codes on pallets can be read by the machine to confirm the correct program is loaded for that pallet — avoiding mix-ups. Sensors on conveyors can detect if a part didn’t eject properly from a machine and halt the line to prevent crashes. These smart integration touches might not be visible, but they are critical automation technologies that ensure reliability in unattended operations. Zoller enhances this reliability on the tooling side with presetting and measuring machines that use RFID and data interfaces to automatically transfer precise tool data to the machine control. This eliminates manual entry errors and ensures that the right tool, with the correct dimensions, is always loaded — further strengthening the poka-yoke approach in both part handling and tool management. These 10 material handling and automation systems are just the start. With dozens more on display at IMTS 2026, you'll have the chance to see how these technologies work up close, ask questions, and find solutions tailored to your shop. Whether you're looking to scale up, reduce labor strain, or finally go lights-out, IMTS is the place to start your automation journey. Save the date: IMTS 2026, September 14–19, 2026, in Chicago — and get ready to automate smarter. Interested in more automation technologies you can find at IMTS? Check out our other guides below:10 Robotic Solutions You Can Find at IMTS 202610 Tool Change and Management Automation Solutions at IMTS 202610 Workholding Automation Innovations to See at IMTS 202610 Quality Control and Inspection Automation Solutions at IMTS 2026From Waste to Workflow: 9 Automated Scrap and Coolant Solutions at IMTS 20269 Digital Solutions that Improve Shopfloor Productivity at IMTS 20267 Advanced Machine Tool Automation Features to See at IMTS 2026From Clean to Complete: 4 Automation Solutions for Secondary Processes at IMTS 2026
Explore 10 smart systems — from bar feeders to RFID error-proofing that boost lights-out manufacturing by automating part flow, transfer, and setup at IMTS 2026.
Subscribe to Newsletters
Get the latest news from IMTS delivered to your inbox.