Additive Manufacturing Sector Powered by Formnext at IMTS 2024
- Date
- 2024-09-09
- Location
- McCormick Place, Chicago, United States
- Host
- Formnext
About this event
Additive manufacturing is no longer a side conversation in industrial production. At IMTS 2024, this dedicated Additive Manufacturing Sector powered by Formnext brings the technology, the people, and the commercial momentum into one focused part of the show floor in Chicago. If you want a clearer view of where industrial 3D printing fits today, and where it is headed next, this is the place to spend serious time. About the Event This event is a dedicated Additive Manufacturing sector co-located within IMTS 2024, presented as part of the Formnext North American event series licensed by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. In practical terms, that means attendees get the scale and reach of IMTS together with a concentrated additive manufacturing presence shaped by one of the most recognized brands in the global AM space. Rather than treating additive as a small feature inside a broader manufacturing show, this sector gives it room to stand on its own. That matters for anyone evaluating real production use cases, looking for new suppliers, comparing equipment and workflows, or trying to understand how additive connects with machining, automation, software, materials, and quality processes across the factory. Because it is embedded within IMTS, the experience is especially useful for people who care about the full manufacturing picture. You can explore additive in context, not in isolation: how it supports prototyping, tooling, production, spare parts, repair strategies, supply chain resilience, and design freedom alongside more established manufacturing methods. This is an in-person event at McCormick Place in Chicago, designed for face-to-face discovery and practical industry conversation. Expect a professional environment where the focus is on technology, applications, partnerships, and the business case for adoption. What to Expect Attendees can expect a focused additive manufacturing area within the wider IMTS experience, with opportunities to explore technologies, applications, and market activity across the sector. The exact flow of your day may depend on your goals, but the format naturally supports both quick discovery and deeper evaluation. You can use the sector in a few different ways: Survey the landscape if you are early in your additive journey and want to understand the current ecosystem Compare solutions if you are actively evaluating hardware, software, materials, or production partners Spot trends if your role requires market awareness and technology scouting Build relationships with professionals working across advanced manufacturing and additive workflows Because the event is part of IMTS 2024, the additive sector sits within a much larger industrial audience. That creates useful crossover. You are likely to encounter conversations not only about additive itself, but also about how it integrates with broader manufacturing priorities such as throughput, repeatability, workforce readiness, production economics, and digital transformation. Expect a mix of product exploration, application-focused discussion, and peer-to-peer networking. For many attendees, the real value comes from seeing multiple parts of the additive value chain in one place and being able to ask sharper questions in real time: What is mature enough for production? Where are the strongest business cases? What capabilities are improving? What are companies actually implementing now? Why Attend If you work in manufacturing, engineering, product development, operations, supply chain, or technology strategy, this sector offers a more efficient way to understand additive manufacturing in a real industrial context. It is well suited to people who want substance over hype and who need to connect technical possibilities with production realities. Attending can help you: Get current on additive manufacturing without piecing the market together from scattered sources See how AM is positioned within industrial manufacturing, not just as a standalone innovation category Identify relevant use cases for your products, processes, or customer base Evaluate where additive complements conventional methods rather than replacing them Meet the broader community around advanced manufacturing, additive, and production technology This is also a strong event for teams making decisions. Engineers can explore capabilities and constraints. Business leaders can assess strategic fit and market direction. Operations and manufacturing teams can look at implementation questions through a practical lens. If your organization is trying to move from curiosity to action, a concentrated sector like this can accelerate the process. Just as importantly, the Formnext connection signals an additive-focused identity within a trusted industrial setting. For attendees, that combination can make the experience more useful: broad enough to reveal how additive fits into the manufacturing ecosystem, focused enough to avoid getting lost in the noise. Practical Details Location: In person at McCormick Place, Chicago, United States Date and time listed: Monday, September 9 at 12:00 AM UTC As this is an in-person event within IMTS 2024, plan your visit with the wider show in mind. McCormick Place is a major convention venue, so it helps to arrive with a rough agenda: the additive sector areas you want to prioritize, the broader IMTS areas you may want to connect to your visit, and the conversations you want to have while you are on site. A few tips to make the most of it: Review the IMTS schedule and floor plan before you arrive Block time specifically for the Additive Manufacturing Sector so it does not become an afterthought in a large event Come with concrete questions about applications, integration, cost drivers, materials, quality, or workflow Wear comfortable shoes and plan for a full convention day If additive manufacturing is part of your roadmap, or even if you are still deciding where it belongs, this sector gives you a practical way to explore it inside one of North America’s major manufacturing gatherings. It is a smart stop for anyone who wants a grounded, current view of additive in the real world of industrial production.
Who should attend
If you want a focused look at where additive manufacturing fits into modern production, this is the place to be. - **You work in manufacturing and want practical signal, not hype.** If you're evaluating how additive can support production, tooling, prototyping, or supply chain resilience, this sector gives you a concentrated way to explore it within the broader IMTS environment. - **You’re responsible for operations, engineering, or process improvement.** Come if you need to understand how additive manufacturing connects to real shop-floor needs, equipment decisions, and workflow efficiency. - **You’re building or scaling an additive program.** Whether you’re early in the journey or expanding existing capabilities, you’ll benefit from being around a dedicated additive community shaped by the Formnext North American event series. - **You source technology, equipment, or manufacturing solutions.** If your role includes comparing platforms, identifying partners, or scanning the market, this is a strong place to make faster, better-informed decisions. - **You want to meet people who speak the same technical and commercial language.** Engineers, manufacturing leaders, innovators, and decision-makers looking at the future of production should feel right at home here. - **You already plan to attend IMTS and want a deeper additive focus.** This sector offers a clear destination for anyone who wants more targeted additive manufacturing conversations and connections.