IMTS 2026 | Chicago, Illinois
For manufacturers investing in advanced machine tools, automation and digital technology, the return is ultimately determined on the shop floor. A machine may offer greater speed, flexibility and capability, but those advantages only translate into productive capacity when the NC programs driving it can be trusted to run safely, accurately and efficiently.
That makes IMTS 2026 an important moment for Vericut.
The International Manufacturing Technology Show returns to McCormick Place in Chicago from September 14–19, bringing together more than 1,800 exhibitors across approximately 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space.
As manufacturers respond to productivity pressures, workforce constraints, and increasingly demanding production requirements, this year’s event will place particular emphasis on technologies such as industrial AI, digital twins, advanced automation, and connected manufacturing.
At Booth 133312 in the East Building, Level 3, Vericut will demonstrate how CNC simulation fits into that wider manufacturing picture.
Rather than treating simulation as a final software check after CAM programming, the Vericut team will focus on its role throughout the CNC workflow: validating machine-ready NC code, reproducing complete machine behavior, improving cutting performance and creating a stronger connection between the verified digital process and what takes place on the physical machine.
Manufacturing capability is only valuable when it can be used with confidence.
IMTS has always been defined by machinery. Visitors will see some of the most capable CNC equipment available, along with automation systems, tooling, metrology, software, and production technologies designed to help manufacturers produce more complex parts in less time.
But as machine capability increases, so does the consequence of getting the process wrong.
Five-axis motion, mill-turn operations, complex workholding, expensive tooling and increasingly automated production environments leave less room for uncertainty during prove-out.
For manufacturers working with high-value components or materials, an NC programming error can mean much more than a lost part. It can consume hours of machine capacity, damage equipment, disrupt production and require engineering resources to resolve a problem that could have been identified before machining began.
Vericut addresses that gap between the programmed process and the physical one.
Its simulation environment reads the post-processed G-code intended for the CNC machine. It reproduces the complete machining process using digital representations of the machine, control behavior, tooling, fixtures, stock and workholding.
The objective is not simply to visualize a CAM toolpath, but to understand how the actual production program will behave in the context of the machine that will run it.
Vericut 9.7 continues that approach while introducing faster simulation and processing, improved handling of complex NC programs and machine configurations, and faster verification and review workflows.
For manufacturers considering new machinery at IMTS, that distinction is particularly relevant. Increasing the machine tool's capability also increases the importance of proving the manufacturing process before committing valuable spindle time.
A practical role for AI in CNC manufacturing.
AI is expected to be one of the defining subjects at this year’s IMTS event.
The show will introduce a dedicated Industrial AI Arena and Industrial AI Conference, reflecting growing interest in how AI can support real manufacturing applications rather than remaining separate from production workflows.
Vericut’s current use of AI is deliberately focused on that practical requirement.
Vericut 9.7 expands Vericut Assistant, which provides AI-powered guidance directly inside the software. Users can ask questions in natural language and receive step-by-step assistance around Vericut features and workflows, helping programmers and engineers find information without leaving the application or searching through documentation.
Vericut Intelligence complements this with a web-based knowledge resource covering the broader Vericut product portfolio. At the same time, Icam Post V27 introduces its own AI Assistant within QUEST and GENER, giving post developers access to product guidance and documentation as they work.
The emphasis at IMTS will be on AI as an aid to manufacturing expertise rather than a substitute for it. CNC programming and process engineering remain disciplines in which machine knowledge, material behavior, tooling experience and production context matter.
The immediate opportunity for AI is to make trusted information easier to reach and complex software workflows easier to navigate, allowing experienced people to spend more time solving manufacturing problems.
Bringing the CNC machining workflow together at IMTS.
What makes IMTS significant is not the presence of one particular technology. It is the opportunity to see how technologies that are often evaluated separately must ultimately operate as part of the same manufacturing process.
A new machine tool still requires reliable NC code. Automation increases the importance of proving programs before unattended production.
Digital twins become more valuable when they reflect the machine's real conditions. Optimization becomes more relevant when manufacturers need greater output from existing equipment. AI becomes useful when it helps skilled people work more effectively.
CNC simulation sits across many of those relationships.
Vericut 9.7 and Icam Post V27 provide the latest developments within that workflow, but the broader discussion is one that manufacturers across aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, energy, machinery and general precision manufacturing will recognize: how to increase capability without increasing production risk. Vericut supports CNC environments across these industries today.
The Vericut team will be available throughout the show to discuss visitors’ own machining environments, from complex machine configurations and post-processing requirements to prove-out time, tool performance, cycle-time optimization and the challenge of keeping digital and physical production aligned.
For manufacturers heading to Chicago to evaluate the next generation of manufacturing technology, Vericut will offer an opportunity to look just as closely at the digital process that puts that technology to work.
See Vericut in action at IMTS 2026.
Whether you're looking to improve machining performance, strengthen process control, or build greater resilience into your manufacturing operations, Vericut's team will be available throughout the show to discuss your challenges, and demonstrate practical solutions.
Visit Vericut at Booth 133312 in the East Building, Level 3, and see how CNC simulation continues to help manufacturers worldwide machine more predictably, efficiently, and confidently.
About Vericut.
Vericut® sets the global standard for CNC simulation, verification, and optimization software.
Since 1988, Vericut has helped thousands of manufacturers eliminate machining errors, reduce scrap, improve efficiency, and increase confidence in production.
Today, it supports leading aerospace, defense, automotive, and motorsport organizations across the globe.
