MT Magazine May/June 2026

Exploring Automation at IMTS 2026 America was born of automation, and our future is automation. BY STEPHEN LAMARCA | SENIOR TECHNOLOGY ANALYST KATHY KEYES | MANAGING EDITOR, CONTENT Automation built American manufacturing, and it’s about to reshape it again. With the 2026 edition of IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show on the horizon, automation is moving beyond a technical focus to become a strategic lever for addressing workforce constraints, accelerating productivity, and strengthening U.S. competitiveness. Our industry faces a structural workforce gap, with roughly 495,000 open jobs in January 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hiring alone won’t close it. But we can get there with intelligence, technology, and our uniquely American ability to innovate and embrace change.

TOOLING & WORKHOLDING

AUTOMATIO

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

METAL REMOVAL