Surprises and Game Changers at IMTS

IMTS is now just a couple weeks away. There is much anticipation for this show as the market is very active, attendance is expected to set records, and Okuma has tremendous, relevant CNC machine technology that will be on display.

It’s always a challenge for us to decide which products to send to the show. Okuma has an expansive lineup of lathes and mills. CNC lathes range from 6” chuck to 22” bore. Horizontal lathes go up to a 6-meter bed while VTLs reach 3.5-meter swing. For the machining center products, we have both vertical and horizontal mills from 3 to 6 axis and speeds up to 35,000 rpm. Many customers are unaware that we also have a mature line of OD and ID grinders and this summer surpassed 8,000 double columns installed worldwide.

So what did we decide to bring?

This IMTS we took a little different approach. Rather than bring the most common sizes and configurations, we decided to bring higher technology CNC machines that customers have less opportunity to see. In addition, we decided to undress a couple of them so that people could see firsthand what differentiates Okuma from our competition--it’s not just our own control.

When you enter our booth from the front aisle you will not be able to miss our NEW MU-10000H. It is our largest 5-axis machine to date and probably larger than half the exhibitor booths at IMTS. On either side of it you will see an undressed Multus B750 and a VTR-160A . The Multus B750 is our largest multi-function lathe, and the VTR-160A is a 1.6 meter vertical lathe built off of our proven double column platform. Further into the booth you will see a couple of horizontal machining centers, one of them will have an AMPS (Automated Modular Pallet System) on it. A variety of other products will be on display mostly with Okuma’s own OSP (Okuma Sampling Path) Control as well as FANUC-controlled machines. In total we will have 15 machines in the Okuma booth – 8 of them NEW - and another 3 machines in partner booths (ABB, Hexagon, Kuka).

Partners in THINC – Game Changers

Okuma has a strategic alliance with 42 leading suppliers of technology that, together with the CNC machine tool, provide solutions that directly address manufacturing challenges and inefficiencies. This alliance is called Partners in THINC and it is now into its seventh year. At IMTS you’ll see many of these partners in our booth and their technology on our machines. This may sound like common practice, but I can assure you that these solutions are truly game changers and only possible because of the commitment of these companies to work together, even at times working with their own competitor.

I’ve left many things out (and some intentionally!) simply because IMTS is a huge event and we invite you to come see all the surprises and game changers for yourself at Okuma’s booth (S-8500).

What will you be looking for at IMTS? What’s at the top of your list? Comment below, or contact us to discuss your customized solutions.

See you in Chicago!

Tim Thiessen is Vice President of Sales, Okuma America Corporation