Photo courtesy of IMTS
IMTS is always an exciting weekend. Usually held once every two years, this year’s show comes after a hefty four-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Naturally, the face of manufacturing has changed considerably since 2018, which meant the mood at IMTS 2022 was one of anticipation. Associate Director, Consulting Greg Johnson and Senior Account Manager, Joel Melvin were our nominated ears on the ground to watch industry leaders unveil innovative and transformative products.
After some reflection, they have now compiled the top trends, topics, and technologies of IMTS 2022 into a post-show summary report. While the report is entirely free to download (and can be accessed here), we have handpicked the most notable trends of the event below.
- Supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges
Talk frequently went to the ongoing supply chain issues at IMTS 2022. While many have been quick to blame chain disruptions on the pandemic, evidence shows that Covid-19 is just one of many contributing factors. These issues were rearing their head long before 2020 and are continuing to resurface in its wake. Coupled with the ongoing shortage of both skilled and unskilled laborers, these issues created quite the topical storm (pun intended) at IMTS 2022.
There’s a growing trend of robots being utilized in the manufacturing sector to work collaboratively with their human coworkers. Companies like ABB, FANUC, KUKA, Yasakawa, and Universal Robots are promoting easily programmable cobots (collaborative robots). These were certainly a highlight of the show, with some live demonstrations to boot.
- 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing
The 3D printing or additive manufacturing market has grown by leaps and bounds since the last IMTS in 2018. Although GKN Powder Metallurgy, Sandvik AB, and General Electric have been named as some of the leading players in 3D printing, there were several new product innovations from a diverse mix of names to get excited about – Nidec and HP included.
Download Your Post-Show Report
Our IMTS post-show report delves into these trending topics in greater detail. Providing insight on the most exciting product innovations, you can trust BCC Research to cover all the unmissable intel from this year’s long-awaited IMTS.
Download your complimentary copy of our post-show report here.
