IMTS 2026 runs September 14-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, billed as the largest manufacturing show in the Western Hemisphere. Headline themes include AI in machining, additive manufacturing and scaling Industry 4.0, making it a key event for anyone planning machine tool purchases.
AI-assisted CAM and conversational programming are the most talked-about trend. Generative toolpath optimization and natural-language programming tools from vendors such as Siemens, Mazak, Autodesk Fusion and Mastercam promise to cut programming time dramatically, letting smaller shops run complex parts without dedicated expert programmers.
Digital twins and virtual commissioning allow machine builders and buyers to simulate a machine and its whole production cell before it is built, using open data standards such as OPC UA and umati. This compresses commissioning time and de-risks automation projects, especially for multi-machine cells.
Lights-out automation continues to move down-market. Robot tending, pallet pools and multi-pallet systems make unattended running feasible for job shops, and the cost of entry for small and medium enterprises keeps falling - a full 24/7 cell is now within reach of many contract manufacturers.
Finally, five-axis and multi-tasking machines are displacing conventional three-axis work, and in-process metrology with closed-loop compensation is tying laser and vision inspection to ISO 230 accuracy reporting. When buying a machine this year, ask whether the control and software stack supports these workflows - they determine how much value the machine can generate over its lifetime.