A SHOWCASE FOR THE LATEST EQUIPMENT AND SOLUTIONS
The nation’s largest exhibition of material handling, supply chain, and logistics equipment, systems, and technologies returns to Chicago at the start of the new year. The every-other-year showcase, spon-
sored by the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA), will take place
at McCormick Place South from Jan. 21–24. MHIA expects the show will
draw more than 800 exhibitors as well as attendees from around the world.
In addition to the exhibition, ProMat will include an educational confer-
ence that features keynote addresses on the impact of robotics on econom-
ic growth, navigating the new political climate for business growth and suc-
cess, and the future of material handling, logistics, and the supply chain;
education tracks on auto ID technology and mobile computing; and some
100 educational sessions on trends, best practices, and the latest develop-
ments in equipment and technology for manufacturing, distribution, logis-
tics, and supply chain management. These sessions, which run concurrently
with the show, take place in specially designed theaters constructed on the
show floor. This format allows attendees to learn about various material han-
dling and logistics solutions in the educational sessions and then actually
see the equipment and systems that can implement those solutions.
For ease of navigation, the 300,000-square-foot show floor will be divid-
ed into solution-specific centers: Manufacturing & Assembly Solutions,
Fulfillment & Delivery Solutions, and Information Technology (IT)
Material Handling Equipment and Systems: Automated storage and
retrieval systems, automatic guided vehicle systems, casters/wheels/tires,
hydraulic and electrical components and controls, robots, personnel/bur-
den carriers, racks, forklifts, batteries, flexible manufacturing systems, unit
handling systems, manufacturing execution systems, warehouse manage-
ment systems/logistics execution systems, conveyors and sortation equip-
ment, ergonomic and safety equipment, scissor lifts, order picking,
carousels, modular drawer storage, tool handling, shelving, work stations,
and third-party logistics services.
Packaging, Containers, and Shipping Equipment: Box and carton makers,
packaging machinery, wrapping, systems for inspecting products by
weight or scanning, pallets, wire baskets, plastic and metal containers, and
palletizing equipment.
Inventory Management and Controlling Technologies: Computers, con-
trollers, software programs, systems integrators, manufacturing execution
systems, warehouse management systems, supply chain and logistics exe-
