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IMTS—The International Manufacturing Technology Show aims to introduce the latest advancements in manufacturing technology to help machine shops and manufacturing facilities be competitive, innovative and ultimately successful. Three machine shop leaders, who plan to attend IMTS 2018, September 10-15, in Chicago, share why they count on IMTS to be successful.

Scott Volk, Vice President of MetalQuest Unlimited
“We come to IMTS to learn about what we can do in the future,” says Scott Volk, vice president of MetalQuest Unlimited of Hebron, Neb. “When a customer comes to us with a problem, we can take what we’ve learned at the show and apply it to find a solution.”

Based on technology sourced at IMTS, MetalQuest has assembled an automated cell comprised of two Okuma 2SP CNC lathes with dual gantries, four FANUC robots and an Okuma vertical machining center. All are linked via , a royalty-free open standard introduced at IMTS 2008, which Volk uses to analyze the data in order to maximize productivity. With this system, the company uses a single operator to make 50,000 to 70,000 parts every month and does so on a globally cost-competitive basis.

Geno Lemery, Director of Facilities at 
“We’ve discovered equipment, workholding and cutting tools that we never knew existed at IMTS,” says Geno Lemery, director of facilities for Winsert in Marinette, Wis., a 186-person provider of parts made from proprietary alloys that provide a unique combination of temperature, wear and corrosion resistance. “IMTS has provided the information Winsert needed to transform from an ordinary machine shop to an extraordinary world-class company with an overall equipment effectiveness of 90 percent, a nearly perfect productivity score.”

Mark Tario, Engineering & Safety Manager for 
Accurate Gauge & Manufacturing has three facilities totaling 122,000-SF in Rochester Hills, Mich., and makes semi-truck axle carriers. Engineering & Safety Manager Mark Tario notes that, “Everybody has dreams for improving their business. IMTS is an idea incubator.”

At IMTS 2016, Tario learned about a chamfering tool with an axial float that would automate deburring. “Now that we automate the deburring process, we use the same number of workers, but we use them more wisely,” Tario said. “As the machine is running, operators can focus on quality and other productive activities.”

To read about why other machine shop leaders attend IMTS, visit IMTS.com/Dreamers-and-Doers.

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