Regional shows the way to go

Recently, I caught myself looking longingly at machine tool ads in trade magazines. The kind of ads that show machines with bright, shiny sheet metal, painted with the latest glossy color combinations, and sexy curves, such as wraparound guards. And the ad copy boasted high cutting speeds and lightning-fast feed rates.

I’m usually not that attracted to these ads, so not knowing what was wrong, I visited the company doctor. He examined me and diagnosed me with a bad case of TSW—trade show withdrawal. He prescribed attending the next trade show and calling him in the morning. Fortunately, there was a regional show near Milwaukee called the Wisconsin Manufacturing and Technology Show (WMTS). I figured I would get a little fix.

In reality, my primary reason for attending the show was to meet our fixture vendor for a demo of the latest system that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) chips to distinguish programs and their corresponding fixtures, reducing the possibility of machine tool crashes. The system also monitors hydraulic pressure in fixtures.

Because I live in Wisconsin, I was able to drive to the event in about 45 minutes without paying any tolls or sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. At five bucks, parking was a relative bargain. The show opened at 9 a.m. and I arrived about 15 minutes beforehand to avoid long lines. Getting my badge took all of 2 minutes because I was preregistered.

I walked inside where there were more than 200 exhibitors. There were displays for machine tools and accessories, cutting tools, CAD/CAM packages and more as far as the eye could see, as well as exhibits for job shops showcasing their expertise. The trade show also included breakfast forums, keynote presentations and free seminars.