IMTS 2026 to Showcase the AI-Powered Future of Manufacturing
With U.S. manufacturing technology orders climbing and productivity showing its strongest gains in years, IMTS 2026 – The International Manufacturing Technology Show will give manufacturers a front-row view of the technologies accelerating the industry’s next wave of growth. Across the show floor, visitors will experience industrial AI, automation, additive manufacturing (AM), digital twins, software, machining, metrology, and connected production systems that are helping companies increase output, improve efficiency, and move faster from design to delivery.
The momentum is clear: Through the first four months of 2026, manufacturing technology orders totaled $2.19 billion, up 28.9% from 2025, according to the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by The Assocation For Manufacturing Technology (AMT), which owns and produces IMTS. The ISM Manufacturing PMI reached 53.3% in June, and the ISM Manufacturing New Orders Index expanded for the sixth consecutive month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed manufacturing labor productivity rose 3.2% in the first quarter of 2026, while output increased 3.3% with no growth in hours worked, a signal that manufacturers are using and adopting technology to increase productivity per worker.
“Production demands and workforce constraints are pushing manufacturers to take a closer look at technologies like AI, digital twins, additive, and advanced automation, all of which are woven through the manufacturing ecosystem at IMTS,” said Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America and chairman of the board at AMT.
IMTS, which runs Sept. 14-19 in Chicago, is the largest manufacturing technology show in the Western Hemisphere. Attendees work at OEMs, contract manufacturers, machine shops, and other businesses that comprise the $2.96 trillion manufacturing sector (9.4% of U.S. GDP). The show encompasses 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space, 10 Technology Sectors, features about 40 million tons of equipment, hosts thousands of live demonstrations, and attracts more than 89,000 people and 1,800 exhibitors. Because of rapid technology advances, IMTS 2026 will be the first major industry event where visitors can learn how Industrial AI operates across machining, automation, metrology, software, tooling, quality control, AM, production, and planning systems. New attractions include the Industrial AI Arena and the Industrial AI Conference.
“As companies adopt digital technologies, they improve efficiency, increase operational visibility and achieve more consistent results,” continues Cicco. “Visitors to IMTS will see how advances in AI-driven capabilities like vision systems, predictive analytics, and adaptive control can simplify programming and routine tasks, enable employees to take on higher-value responsibilities, and make automation of parts and data more accessible across a broader range of skill levels.”
AMT President Doug Woods predicts IMTS 2026 will be a special show because of the speed and scope at which digital manufacturing technologies are being deployed across every step of production.
“Now is the most exciting time to be in manufacturing,” said Woods, who has spent a lifetime in the industry. “The heart of what manufacturers and job shops do hasn’t changed. We mill, turn, shape, move, measure, and assemble, but new technologies are increasing efficiencies and changing how work gets done. The numbers indicate that people are working smarter, and that’s showing up in factors like the reshoring movement, the manufacturing economy, and the rate of technology adoption.”
What makes IMTS distinct is that these technologies are not presented in isolation: Visitors can see how AI, automation, additive manufacturing, software, machining, metrology, and controls connect across the full manufacturing process, from design and planning to production, inspection, and delivery.
Technology Drives Opportunity, Resiliency
Technology is already changing what manufacturers can achieve. High-performing job shops are using unattended operations to increase machine utilization and revenue, while automation and supply chain efficiencies are helping fuel reshoring and foreign direct investment-related jobs. At IMTS 2026, visitors can see the technologies behind that momentum and evaluate how they can strengthen resiliency, productivity, and growth in their own operations.
New AI Attractions
IMTS 2026 will make industrial AI easier to understand and evaluate through two new experiences: the Industrial AI Arena, featuring 32 exhibitors focused on AI-driven manufacturing solutions, plus government research leader Sandia National Laboratories, and the new IMTS Industrial AI Conference, a full-day program designed to help manufacturers understand where AI can deliver value in predictive maintenance, quality applications, edge versus cloud deployment, and data readiness.
“IMTS 2026 gives manufacturers direct access to AI experts who understand industrial processes,” said Ryan Kelly, AMT’s vice president of technology. “These companies know how to apply AI to real manufacturing workflows, identify practical opportunities for improvement, and offer new ways to move manufacturers from curiosity to action.”
“I am visiting IMTS to focus on automation integrated with AI to improve our quality and output,” said Tavis Vaughn, vice president of quality and engineering at CNC Machine Products, a company in Joplin, Missouri, that produces bearing races using industrial robots and cobots. “We need our production line to learn and adapt to daily changes so we can operate at the highest levels of efficiency and quality.” His priorities reflect the questions many manufacturers are bringing to IMTS: how to apply AI to improve quality, productivity, and day-to-day operations.
AI Across the Ecosystem
At IMTS 2026, visitors will see industrial AI at every level of the manufacturing technology stack – from cloud platforms and AI-native applications to embedded capabilities inside machines, controls, software, inspection systems, automation, and digital thread solutions. Hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft will show how cloud platforms, data infrastructure, and AI development tools can connect engineering, operations, and IT systems to deliver role-specific insights for executives, engineers, and frontline operations.
“The real magic happens at the intersection of data from engineering technology, operational technology, and IT software,” said Praveen Rao, global director and manufacturing industry lead, Google Cloud. “By connecting these silos, Google Cloud’s AI platform Gemini Enterprise enables manufacturers to deploy specialized agents that interpret real-time visual and sensor data, preventing downtime before it happens and helping close productivity gaps. This isn’t just optimization; it’s an agentic shift that can build the future of autonomous manufacturing.”
“AI-native manufacturing solution providers create specialized AI solutions for specific use cases,” said AMT’s Kelly. “Visitors will find a concentration of AI-native solutions in the new Industrial AI Arena.”
For more information: www.imts.com
