In Douglas Woods’ wrap-up of IMTS 2014, the president of The Association for Manufacturing Technology expresses what many felt – that IMTS 2014 was a high-point in the history of this huge week-long event for the manufacturing industry. High attendance figures (114,147) only tell part of the story. The technology displayed on the exhibit floors showed an industry experiencing an automation revolution. Automation was everywhere, whether it was manufacturing processes, or software, data and information, the latest and the greatest were at IMTS. AMT’s Emerging Technology Center was the center of tremendous buzz when the world’s first 30-D printed electric vehicle started up, and drove out of McCormick Place.

Woods reflected that perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of IMTS this year was the Smartforce Student Summit. Although IMTS has hosted a student summit for years, this particular student summit was the best attended in the history of the program. It was a collaborative effort between exhibitors, schools, and other educational entities, and was truly remarkable.

“IMTS is a week of huge excitement for our industry, but my hope is that the spirit and energy that drove everyone to experience the show can be carried throughout the entire year,” states Woods. “The passion, excitement, and energy are greater than ever. Let's keep moving forward.”