The Hardinge Machine Tool Show (HMTS) welcomed more than 750 visitors this year. Along with a vast lineup of Hardinge machines, more than 40 of its industry partners rounded out the trade-show atmosphere.
Getting to Elmira, New York is not the easiest thing to do. Earlier this month, I jumped a plane from Cincinnati to Philadelphia to Elmira. Each plane got smaller and smaller, starting with a 50-passenger CRJ and finally a wing-over, prop-driven 20-seater for the last leg. But it was worth it.
The occasion was a visit to Hardinge for its second HMTS (Hardinge Machine Tool Show). The company welcomed more than 750 visitors to the company’s headquarters in Elmira June 6 and 7. A lineup of turning, grinding, milling, automation, rotary and workholding applications were on display in the 50,000-square-foot showroom.
Also included were more than 40 of Hardinge’s industry partners including tooling, software and accessory providers, which rounded out the trade show atmosphere. Technical people from Hardinge’s varied product lines and its suppliers were on hand to discuss technology and applications with visitors.
A neat thing about having a show in your shop is that it allows for a plant tour. Hardinge’s tour consisted of 11 stops throughout the manufacturing facility with presentations by the team members who actually do the work.
The idea seems to be catching—this year’s event covered four times the floor space of last year’s premier exhibition. Elmira may not be on the beaten path, but it’s a worthy destination for metalworking manufactures to see made in America alive and well.
