IMTS Day Five: ‘Game-Changing Solutions’ at Component Pavilion

One more day for the 33rd International Manufacturing Technology Show, which runs through tomorrow at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

The Association for Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS, hosts more than 2,000 exhibits throughout nine technology-themed pavilions, including the Machine Components/Cleaning/Environmental Pavilion, where exhibitors focus on plug-and-play modularity, integrated automation, the application of real-time data management to reduce consumable waste, and cleaning methods that reduce user exposure and provide increased recycling and reclamation.

Visitors can expect to discover game-changing solutions from more than 200 booths in the pavilion, which is located in the East Building. Exhibitors such as Hennig, Ewellix, Balluff, Master Fluid Solutions, KYZEN Corporation, and Ecoclean highlight the latest components to run, service, and monitor machines, as well as solutions necessary for safe and environmentally responsible operations.

Machine components

Hennig (IMTS booth #338592) features the Portable Sludge Sucker, a mobile cyclonic coolant filtration system that can move easily around the shop to remove, filter, and replace coolant in machines for minimal downtime.

Sensors are getting smarter. They can generate data about themselves and self-diagnose problems. Balluff (IMTS booth #134637) will highlight its family of smart automation and monitoring sensors.

“I would estimate that about 15%-25% of sensors have some kind of smart functionality right now, and that’s growing by the month,” Tom Knauer, global industry manager at Balluf, said in a press release. “One of the things that has enabled these smarter sensors is networking them all together in gateways, which has increased the amount of data they can process in real time or near real time.”

Clean and green

When it comes to cleaning parts, foam can often be a challenge that hinders performance. It interferes with the cleaning process and is a common byproduct of high-pressure washing and interaction with some soils. Master Fluid Solutions (IMTS booth #431956) features a line of aqueous low-foam cleaners.

“The trend in parts cleaning is lower temperatures and a more powerful, targeted spray, which produces more foam,” Justin Geach, global OEM/business development manager at Master Fluid Solutions, said in the press release. “Our cleaners minimize foam, even at ambient temperatures in next generation, extremely high-pressure parts cleaning and deburring machines.”

KYZEN Corporation (IMTS booth #338875) is featuring new solvents designed for vacuum degreasing machines that incorporate spray, ultrasonics, and rotation.

“A new cleaning process has emerged that takes advantage of the best aspects of solvent cleaning and minimizes the trade-offs,” Tom Forsythe, executive vice president at Kyzen, said in the press release. “Vacuum vapor degreasing takes place in a sealed vessel and uses a series of solvent immersion, spray, and rinses followed by a vacuum dry, and virtually nothing leaks out to the environment. By nature of the sealed system, nearby operators are not exposed to any emissions.”

Another new cleaning concept featured at IMTS 2022 is Ecoclean’s (IMTS booth #236756) new UCM SmartLine, a modular cleaning system that provides multiple options for high-precision cleaning.

“Because our system is modular, it is highly flexible and can be configured for a wide range of applications and adapted to changing market conditions at any time,” Sandro Siminovich, U.S. director of sales, Ecoclean, said in the press release. “Due to increasingly complex part geometries, changes in manufacturing processes, and changing environmental regulations, the demands on cleaning equipment have to be able to adapt easily.”

For more information, visit www.imts.com/.

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