What to Expect from AEC at IMTS 2026

AEC will be at IMTS 2026, September 14–19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Booth 338999 in the South Hall, and this year we’re bringing something we haven’t shown publicly before: our new Hybrid Manufacturing Cell.

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What Is IMTS, and Why It’s Worth Your Time

IMTS, the International Manufacturing Technology Show, is the largest manufacturing technology trade show in the Western Hemisphere. It’s held every other year at McCormick Place in Chicago, produced by AMT (the Association for Manufacturing Technology), and this year’s show runs six days across more than 1.2 million square feet, with over 2,000 exhibitors and roughly 90,000 visitors expected. The floor covers machining, automation, additive manufacturing, digital solutions, and quality, with the 2026 edition putting particular weight on hybrid manufacturing and multitasking machines, which is exactly the space our new cell sits in.

The Vibe on the Floor

IMTS isn’t a room full of brochures and banner stands. Exhibitors run full working equipment on the show floor for six straight days, so what you’re looking at is a live system in motion, not a rendering of one. It’s also genuinely huge: four buildings, thousands of booths, and a crowd that ranges from small job shop owners to engineering leadership at the largest manufacturers in the country. Most people who’ve been before will tell you the same thing: come with a plan for which halls and booths matter to you, because you cannot see all of it in one pass.

Live at the Booth: The Hybrid Manufacturing Cell

This is the first public showing of AEC’s Hybrid Manufacturing Cell, a FANUC robot-based platform that combines near net shape metal additive manufacturing, precision milling, and automated inspection in one system. It integrates a FANUC industrial robot with a Meltio Direct Energy Deposition laser head and an automatic changeover to a high-performance milling spindle, so a part can move between additive and subtractive processes without ever being repositioned.

AEC at IMTS 2026 — Booth 338999, South Hall

A few specifics worth knowing before you stop by:

Automatic tool changing between milling, probing, and additive manufacturing
An integrated Renishaw touch probe for automated part registration, work offsets, and in-process inspection
Large-format part capacity up to 32″ x 70″, with larger options available with RTU
Upgradable to external 2-axis positioners for 5-axis machining with milling and Meltio Blue Laser DED capability

At the booth, the cell will be running a simulated metal deposition on a marine bronze propeller, so you can watch the additive side of the process in motion.

Also on Display

Alongside the Hybrid Manufacturing Cell, the booth will feature:

Accustrip High-Pressure Coolant Systems and Chip Shredders

AEC’s own coolant and chip management line.

Meltio

Co-branded signage in the booth, showing the metal deposition technology behind the additive side of the Hybrid Manufacturing Cell.

Roemheld

A workholding display piece on the floor..

What We’re Talking About at the Booth

Beyond the hardware, our engineering team will be at the booth to talk through actual automation projects, not just demo the equipment. Bring your part, your process, or your bottleneck and we’ll walk through it live. We’re also developing a digital repair and reverse engineering workflow that isn’t public yet, and it’s worth asking about if you’re dealing with legacy parts or tooling that’s difficult to reproduce.

Schedule a meeting with us at Booth 338999

Visit AEC at IMTS 2026 to watch the new Hybrid Manufacturing Cell in action and discuss your automation application directly with our engineering team. Bring a part print, process challenge or production bottleneck, and let’s start a useful conversation.

Schedule a meeting with us before the show, or find us on the floor September 14–19.

Schedule a meeting

Frequently Asked Questions

What is IMTS?

IMTS, the International Manufacturing Technology Show, is the largest manufacturing technology trade show in the Western Hemisphere, held every other year at McCormick Place in Chicago and produced by AMT.

Where is AEC’s booth at IMTS 2026?

Booth 338999, South Hall, McCormick Place, Chicago. IMTS runs September 14–19, 2026.

Is this the first time the Hybrid Manufacturing Cell has been shown?

Yes. IMTS 2026 is its first public showing.

Do I need to schedule a meeting in advance, or can I just stop by

Walk-ups are welcome, but scheduling ahead means you’ll get dedicated time with our engineering team instead of catching us between conversations.

What should I bring to make the conversation useful?

A part print, a cycle time target, or a description of your current process is enough to start a real conversation rather than a general one.

Automation Engineering Company (AEC) is a U.S.-based industrial automation integrator specializing in custom automation systems, robotic integration, CNC automation, and controls engineering services for manufacturers nationwide.

9 Shelter Drive
Greer, SC 29650
(864) 679-8024