Thoughts about PMTS, Machining Automation

Like others, I wasn’t sure what to expect at August’s Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS). Would people show up? Would exhibitors be happy? Would we all remember how to “trade-show” in person?

The answers to those questions are “yes, yes and yes.” Sure, attendance and the number of exhibitor booths were down only slightly, as one would expect given COVID-19, but you could feel an overall positive vibe while walking the show hall. Shop owners and managers had been itching to get out to see new technology, and exhibitors were more than happy to present it to them. It was great to reconnect with old industry friends and make new connections at the show, too.

Plus, perhaps the best part: People were smiling.

I don’t mean for this to provide a comprehensive show wrap-up, but I do want to point out the following few tidbits here relative to PMTS and the Production Machining brand in general:

• Turning is not stodgy. You know this. That said, it is a misperception that I and the PM team will continue to dispel in the articles and video we’re creating moving forward. Yes, turning is the granddaddy of machining operations, but today’s precision machine shops are not your grandfather’s. This was demonstrated by the new technology, processes and ideas on display at the show, including multitasking equipment, machine monitoring, enterprise resource planning software and automation — all topics that PM will be covering more in the years to come.
• Automation is more than robots. Machine-tending robots, including those people-friendly collaborative models, were certainly present at the show. But there are so many other shopfloor processes that can be automated. That’s one reason why this special October issue focuses on automation in various forms. All feature articles and Tech Briefs in this issue cover some form(s) of automation, many examples of which we saw featured at PMTS.
• Tech Briefs can be video, too. After walking the show for a day or so, Senior Editor Lori Beckman and I identified equipment that would make for good Tech Brief articles in print as well as short video. We then asked our video crew to hit up as many as they could until the show’s end. The goal of our company’s brands is to connect buyers and sellers of manufacturing technology, and video should work toward that goal just as much as print.
• Print remains popular. Readers and advertisers still appreciate print. I spotted three exhibitors that offered reprints of recent PM articles I wrote to give to show attendees. We also got a good amount of unsolicited comments from readers about how they appreciate the work we put into the magazine and the article topics we cover to help their shops become more efficient and profitable operations. (Thank you!)

So, if you attended, what say you about the show? Shoot me an email. And remember, because PMTS 2021 was pushed back from April to August, we can’t rest for long. PMTS 2023 happens in just about 19 months.