A Minimalistic Yet Impactful Booth

The Micro5 has a compact footprint of just one square meter — ideal for producing tiny, complex parts for the medical, watchmaking and jewelry industries. The company says it might be the smallest five-axis machine at IMTS.

On the IMTS show floor, Chiron is featuring two key machine tool models — the Micro5 and the Mill 2000 — while offering its entire product portfolio in a virtual format. The Mill 2000 may be the company’s most versatile vertical machining center, designed for five-axis machining and boasting a spindle speed of up to 20,000 rpm. The Mill 2000 is designed for dynamically machining large workpieces with high precision and productivity, and is a cornerstone of Chiron’s lineup.

Conversely, the company says its Micro5 represents a leap forward in micro-machining technology. With a spindle speed reaching up to 60,000 rpm and a compact footprint of just one square meter, representatives say it is ideal for producing tiny, complex parts for the medical industry, as well as watchmaking and jewelry. Simon Knecht, VP of Sales and Marketing at Chiron America, emphasized the Micro5’s significance and uniqueness at the show, stating that the Micro5 “might be the smallest five-axis machine at IMTS.”

The Virtual Showroom Experience

Perhaps the most striking feature of Chiron’s IMTS presentation is its virtual showroom. Leveraging advanced 3D technology, this virtual space allows visitors to explore the full range of Chiron’s offerings on large touch screens. Users can interactively configure machines according to their specific needs, such as choosing twin spindles, five-axis setups or four-axis pallet changers. “It’s a tool to configure a machine on demand, on-site in a virtual showroom,” Knecht explains. This approach provides a unique opportunity for customers to experience the flexibility and customization options of Chiron’s modular machine designs without the physical limitations of a traditional trade show setup.

Chiron’s virtual showroom is not limited to its interactive touch screen. Customers can use Apple devices to project life-sized versions of the machines right onto the show floor, providing a realistic view of how these machines might fit and function in their own facilities. This capability extends the reach of IMTS beyond the event itself, allowing for continued engagement with potential buyers after the show.

Digital Innovation and Customer-Centric Solutions

The decision to utilize a virtual showroom aligns with the Chiron Group’s broader strategy of emphasizing innovation and customer-centric solutions, Knecht says. He adds that the virtual experience was developed in response to feedback from customers who expressed a need for more accessible and customizable viewing options. This approach allows Chiron to showcase the full range of its capabilities, from micro-machining to large-scale solutions for aerospace and automotive applications.

“We’ve developed this tool to give our customers the ability to explore and configure our machines in a way that best suits their needs,” Knecht says. “This is not just about showing machines; it’s about demonstrating how our solutions can be tailored to meet specific production requirements.”

He adds that the virtual showroom also underscores Chiron’s adaptability, showcasing the company’s ability to innovate not just in machine design but also in how it presents and markets its products. Knecht says that the Chiron Group’s presence this year at IMTS — a blend of live demonstrations and virtual exploration — allows each visitor to find the precise solution they need.

The world’s leading additive manufacturing (AM) trade show is launching a U.S. based event in 2025 here in McCormick Place, the same venue as IMTS. Formnext Chicago, April 8-10, 2025, will focus on the entire manufacturing value chain for AM, showcasing industrial 3D printing technology plus the technology needed for handling, machining, finishing and other downstream steps involved in realizing low-labor, low-lead-time production via additive manufacturing.

“We see huge potential in U.S. companies that have not yet encountered AM or are not utilizing the benefits of this technology,” explains Sascha F. Wenzler, Formnext vice president. “Our focus is on the various user industries to which we want to provide solutions. This will further raise awareness of the opportunities offered by additive manufacturing across the industry. We also intend to promote AM technologies and significantly increase our exhibitors’ business contacts.”

Additive manufacturing is a means of part production offering the chance for low labor requirement, fast lead time and design complexity such as internal features. However, it is more than just 3D printing. Next year’s Formnext Chicago event at McCormick will address the entire AM value chain.

Formnext Chicago is being organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt in collaboration with AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology and Gardner Business Media. AMT is the organizer behind IMTS and Gardner Business Media is North America’s leading media company focused on discrete part production in metals, plastics and composites.

The new U.S. Formnext event has been years in planning, in response to the arrival of AM as an established, accepted production process. Rather than another AM or 3D printing event, Formnext Chicago will focus exclusively on additive for manufacturing, strictly addressing manufacturers and their needs.

“Formnext was early to recognize the significance of the U.S. market for the AM industry and announced the 2025 Chicago event back in 2021,” says Doug Woods, AMT President. “We see Formnext Chicago as a great opportunity for the U.S. application industries because it covers the entire additive value chain — from material suppliers, software and production systems to postprocessing and quality assurance. This clearly differentiates the new format from existing 3D Printing or rapid prototyping events in the U.S. market.”

For more on Formnext Chicago, see formnextchicago.com.

DN Solutions America new Chicago Technical Center (CTC) in Schaumburg, Illinois. Source: DN Solutions

In a move that truly embodies the IMTS 2024 theme of “Inspiring the Extraordinary,” DN Solutions America (DNSA) has opened its new Chicago Technical Center (CTC) in Schaumburg, Illinois. This 363,000-square-foot facility is set to advance the manufacturing industry by serving as both a cutting-edge showroom and a technological hub for advanced machining applications.

DNSA took possession of the facility earlier in 2024, and renovations and upgrades are underway and on schedule to be completed before the end of the year. The company has hired over two dozen engineering, sales and customer service staff to support the CTC, as well as transferred employees from other DN Solutions’ locations.

Danny Moon, DNSA director of engineering, emphasizes the CTC’s mission: “We’re not just showcasing machine tools; we’re exposing customers to complete manufacturing technology solutions.” The center’s 24,000-square-foot showroom currently houses 11 machines, including four large machines under power, offering a unique hands-on experience for end users — a DHF 8000 five-axis machining center, DBM 2550 bridge mill, DBC 130L II boring mill and NHM 8000 horizontal machining center. Additional machines include multitasking mill-turn machines, compact five-axis machining centers, a horizontal milling machine with pallet pool and PUMA turning centers. Some of the machines at the booth will be moved to the CTC after IMTS, including the DVF 5000 2nd Generation, DVF 6500T five-axis machining centers and an SMX 5100L multitasking mill-turn machine.

DNSA’s commitment to innovation is evident in its ambitious hiring plans with more than 50 new positions to be filled in the next year, including a significant number of engineering roles for applications support and R&D. This expansion aligns perfectly with the IMTS 2024 vision of pushing boundaries and inspiring extraordinary advancements in manufacturing technology. As the manufacturing industry gathers at IMTS 2024 this week, DNSA’s new Chicago Technical Center stands as an example of progress, promising to inspire and shape the future of manufacturing technology.

Emuge-Franken USA showcases a range of skiving tool solutions, including wheels for internal and external gears as bell-type or shank tool variants in the module sizes m 0.4 to m 5, as well as tool and workpiece clamping solutions for gear manufacturers. Emuge-Franken produces high-precision skiving tools on tool grinding machines with appropriate grinding software. A measurement report and corresponding technology data are supplied with every delivery of skiving tools. Application specialists are available to assist with the initial use of the tools and tool repair is also offered.

Skiving tools can be used in a variety of gear applications including the production of ring gears, shafts with internal and external splines and splined shaft profiles. Emuge-Franken skiving tools have no restrictions regarding the material to be machined and can be suitable for the soft machining of internal and external gears, as well as hard machining. The skiving tools can be used on turning/milling centers with B or A axes (swivel axes).

The Emuge-Franken clamping division aims to provide accurate, low-maintenance, customized solutions for applications ranging from low-volume job shops to high-volume automotive production environments.

Source | EOS North America

EOS North America highlights its latest industrial 3D printing solutions, including its portfolio of metal additive manufacturing (AM) solutions designed with industrial AM production in mind.

EOS’ 3D printing technology can be leveraged within the production process from beginning to end, providing the capability to 3D print and adjust manufacturing molds in real-time, as well as prototyping and part lightweighting with design optimization for end-use applications.

EOS showcases its expanded EOS M 290 portfolio, including the EOS M 290 1kW and the EOS M 290-2 400W, built for serial production and compatible with AM materials such as aluminum, nickel alloys, stainless steels and titanium. The EOS M 290 1kW boasts a powerful, one-kilowatt laser, ideal for industries leveraging copper and copper alloys where the challenge of copper heat exchangers and inductors can be met by this powerful AM system. The EOS M 290-2, based on the time-tested EOS M 290, holds two 400-watt lasers with full-field overlap, significantly boosting productivity for serial production.

EOS’ metal 3D printing technology enables organizations across a variety of industries, meeting the production needs of tooling, e-mobility, energy, aerospace applications and more. 

FANUC’s booth largely emphasizes the automation side of its business, with a wide variety of robots across inspection, guidance and paint use cases. Many of these sport a vision system, whether mounted near the robot or onto it. The company is also introducing its forthcoming R-50iA robot controller, which features an integrated vision system alongside cybersecurity and energy-efficiency updates.

While demonstrations of robots make up the vast majority of FANUC’s booth, the company also has a section dedicated to its ROBODRILL VMC α-D28LiB5ADV Plus Y500. In addition to live demonstrations of the machine (including one in a cell alongside a pick-and-place robot, an AMV and a robot assigned to etching), the company is pairing its CNC Guide simulation software with a digital twin of its ROBODRILL machine for real-time digital machining demonstrations. The company is also presenting a refined version of its “Ghost Machine,” a demonstration which pairs one of the company’s forthcoming Series 500i-A controls for five-axis machining with three screens, each of which shows a real-time machining demonstration from a different angle.

The above image depicts Hwacheon’s Sirius-UM+ machine which targets the mold and die industry. Source (all images) | Hwacheon Machinery America Inc.

Hwacheon’s open, circular, dual-entrance booth is designed to draw you in. Not to mention the  sheer size and the fact that there are a total of 10 machines on display. Right away you will notice both of Hwacheon’s turning centers (Vertical-TC and Horizontal-TC) and machining centers (Vertical-MC and Horizontal-MC plus 5-axis) for varying industries. 

Some of these industries include: mold and die, complex military and defense, general shop applications and oil and gas.

New Machine Offerings 

The first of the new categories on display are the company’s horizontal machining centers. Hwacheon introdcues the AF-4, a 400 millimeter, high-speed machine targeted for an up-and-coming industry: the semiconductor industry.

“This industry, which is already booming in the U.S., is experiencing a growth spurt. The machine is intended to create the components for the chip making industry,” says Nedler. 

Hwacheon is demonstrating what the company deems to as “the shower head” technique. This refers to the part of the chamber or making the chip components and the machine is designed to be highly-dynamic with the proper spindle technology to be applied for such applications.

“Additionally, we are strongly featuring the new i2 with Harmony Control for the aerospace market. This is a CNC front-end for our higher-end technology machines. The Harmony CNC control (with all its features) is on the i2 machine at our booth,” says Nedler.

To target large part machining, the company offers its “monster” machine, the VT-1650M along with a demonstration. 

Mold and Die Machinery

Hwacheon has a category specific to the mold and die industry and features two of these machines at its booth. The first of these is the Sirius-UM+ a high-precision vertical machining center.

This image depicts Hwacheon’s HIM-G1 machine, specific to the mold and die industry.

For more than high precision and surface quality type machining, its HIM-G1, a graphite machine, is designed for machining the electrodes is on display. 

“These complement one another. You have hard machining and graphite machining right next to each other” says Nedler.

What Hwacheon is Most Excited for at IMTS 2024

“We're trying to show the newest technology from across the board, all created with our customers in mind,” says Nedler.

Among JTEKT’s eight machines debuting at IMTS are the G3 Series grinding machine and FH5500 horizontal machining center. Source: JTEKT

Of the 16 machines JTEKT is featuring in its booth, half are world or North American debuts. Among the new machines are horizontal machining centers, grinding machines, a vertical turning lathe, a five-axis machining center, a turning center and a vertical milling machine. “For those that want to see a complete range of the latest production solutions, including horizontal and vertical machines, five-axis, grinding, turning, and large bridge milling, then our booth would be the destination for that,” says John Quick, marketing manager.

All machines are under power, with several cutting metal and the others running demo cycles. “The new FH5500 horizontal machine is going to be making chips fly throughout the show,” Quick adds. He also promises multiple examples of automation, ranging from the company’s own pallet systems to robots from partners such as CNC Ileri and Trinity Robotics Automation.

JTEKT is also showcasing specialized applications such as semiconductor wafer grinding. Other industries featured in the booth include five-axis aerospace machining, turning for medical parts, automotive grinding applications and vertical machining applicable to the defense industry. “We’ll have a diverse range of demos queued-up in the JTEKT booth this year – from EV/Automotive shafts to heavy-duty machined components for oil and gas,” Quick says.

The booth also includes a large video wall and multiple interactive displays, including a new digital sales tool that enables users to sort through machines by end market application.

Source | Cole Carbide Industries Inc.

Cole Carbide Industries Inc. highlights the Quad Force Machining  (QFM) tooling system from Millstar to provide maximum flexibility by way of its innovative hybrid geometry. This versatile line of solid carbide end mills is capable of four cutting actions in a single tool, making it a cost-efficient solution for diverse application challenges that face the mold and die industry.

QFM’s hybrid design combines high-feed geometry, variable flute geometry, variable helix geometry and offset geometry. This unique combination enables users to seamlessly integrate multiple machining operations including high feed machining, trochoidal machining, side/slot milling and plunge milling.

The company says Millstar’s QFM end mills offer superior metal removal rates in soft or hard tool/die steels, stainless steels and titanium. Their state-of-the-art geometry provides accuracy and repeatability while achieving greater depth of cut and preventing side vibrations. The durable QFM tooling system also features a multi-layer, hybrid nanocoating for excellent heat resistance and high hardness, which facilitates higher productivity and longer tool life.

Quad Force Machining end mills are competitively priced, made in the United State and supported by Millstar’s team of production experts to ensure optimal performance and efficiency for any application.

Source | Cheto Corporation SA

Cheto Corporation SA highlights its five, up to seven-axis multifunction machines created to increase accuracy and decrease the costs of complex mold production.

The company says these machines are faster, cleaner and more reliable, increasing the efficiency of a mold manufacturer and streamlining their machine operations. Cheto’s multifunction machines can perform different functions in a single setup, enabling deep hole drilling, radial drilling, milling, tapping and boring.

The company says its also important to mention the automatic tool change with a length of up to two meters — ATC gundrill, patented by Cheto, enables the reduction of human intervention and drilling time, increasing the efficiency and availability of drilling time without stop.

Optimizing the process is Cheto’s primary goal, providing the highest levels of precision. Aligned with this main goal, Cheto builds time-saving devices to reduce the manufacturing costs of its customers, while keep improving and innovating.

According to Cheto’s founders, Carlos Teixeira (CEO) and Sérgio André (CTO), the mold industry is where each began their working life. From this perspective, they were able to identify the problems in this industry, acquiring the know-how of the process and understanding when it comes to the needs of the manufacturer.