Our editorial team has been busy at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS).
Even after weeks of meticulous planning, we still find ourselves flitting from one booth to the next as we try to pack in as many visits as possible. Nevertheless, there were several times during our second day when I found myself with a few minutes to spare between interviews.
I decided to make the most of that time and get some insights from some of the more than 2,000 exhibitors here at the show.
Wayne R. Nelson is regional sales manager, East Coast at Fagor Automation Corp., a manufacturer of computer numerical controls (CNC). The subject of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) came up during our conversation, and I asked him what he thought about this new trend.
“It’s a buzz word,” said Nelson. “It’s become the thing, but most smaller shops aren’t going to get any benefit from it because the cost of interfacing an Internet of Things module can be very expensive. In a big shop though, like a Lockheed Martin, you need it. Now some small shops benefit from it, but they need to know what they’re doing and how to use the data correctly.”
Rodrigo Vargas Luna is a service technician for Creaform’s distributor in Mexico. I asked him what sets the Mexican metrology market apart from the rest of North America. “In the American market, there’s more emphasis on design, but in the Mexican market it’s all about quality control. In America, a lot of our sales are for reverse engineering for the creation of parts, but in Mexico it’s reverse engineering for the creation of spare parts.”
John Rivera is operations manager for Q-Mark, a manufacturer of probe styli. “All of our products are made in the USA,” said Rivera. “Custom items are our niche.” I asked him if anything in particular caught his eye at the show. “Of course, the helicopter,” he said, referring to Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence booth. “I think that caught everybody’s eye when they were moving that in.”
Ward Richards is regional sales manager for Renishaw. “We’re showing off a new laser calibration system that can measure six degrees of freedom in one run,” he said. When I asked Richards about the highlight of the show for him, he said, “I went around and saw my old friends; I’ve been coming here for 30 years, so I got to see friends I’ve known for that long and see every two years.”
Check back tomorrow for more IMTS updates or follow me on Twitter at @IanWrightEngCom for more live updates.