Regal Rexnord Corp., a global leader in engineered industrial powertrains, motion control, and automation solutions, is set to unveil its comprehensive suite of robotics and factory automation products at Automate 2026. The highly anticipated industry event, scheduled for June 22-25, 2026, will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place, serving as a critical platform for manufacturers, machine builders, and system integrators seeking the latest advancements in automated systems and motion control technologies. Regal Rexnord’s presence at Booth 17030 in the North Hall promises an immersive experience, featuring live demonstrations and direct engagement with experts from its diverse portfolio of renowned brands.
Automate 2026: A Nexus for Industrial Innovation
Automate, North America’s largest automation show, has consistently served as a vital barometer for the industry’s trajectory. Held biennially, the event draws tens of thousands of attendees from across the globe, all converging to explore cutting-edge solutions in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, and motion control. Its strategic location in Chicago, a major manufacturing and logistics hub, further solidifies its importance as a forum for showcasing innovations that drive productivity, efficiency, and safety in industrial environments. For Regal Rexnord, Automate 2026 represents a prime opportunity to demonstrate how its integrated technologies are directly addressing the evolving demands of modern manufacturing, from enhancing operational flexibility to accelerating deployment times for complex automated systems.
The exhibition comes at a pivotal moment for the global automation market. According to recent industry analyses, the industrial automation market is projected to continue its robust growth trajectory, driven by factors such as persistent labor shortages, the imperative for supply chain resilience, and the increasing demand for customized production. Manufacturers are increasingly investing in sophisticated robotic cells, autonomous platforms, and advanced material handling systems to remain competitive and adapt to dynamic market conditions. Regal Rexnord’s participation underscores its commitment to leading this transformation, offering solutions that empower industries to navigate these challenges effectively.
Regal Rexnord’s Integrated Approach to Automation
At the core of Regal Rexnord’s exhibition strategy at Automate 2026 is the emphasis on integrated solutions derived from its extensive family of brands. The company’s booth will feature products from Thomson, Kollmorgen, Portescap, Warner Electric, ModSort, Huco, Micron, Boston Gear, Berg, Stearns, Leeson, and Bauer Gear Motor. This diverse collection highlights Regal Rexnord’s unique ability to provide end-to-end solutions for nearly every aspect of a machine or production line, encompassing linear motion, servo control, braking, sensing, gearing, conveying, and power transmission. This holistic approach is designed to simplify procurement, enhance system compatibility, and reduce the overall complexity often associated with deploying advanced automation.
Manufacturers today are looking beyond individual components; they seek comprehensive systems that can be rapidly deployed, seamlessly integrated with existing infrastructure, and easily adapted as production needs evolve. Regal Rexnord’s integrated portfolio directly addresses this need, offering optimized performance and simplified design processes. The products on display are specifically engineered for machine designs that prioritize flexible layouts, reliable operation, and compact footprints – critical attributes for modern industrial applications ranging from high-speed packaging equipment to precision assembly lines and complex warehouse automation.
Spotlight on Key Product Innovations and Demonstrations
Attendees at Automate 2026 will have the opportunity to experience several groundbreaking demonstrations showcasing Regal Rexnord’s commitment to innovation:
1. The Thomson Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit: Expanding Collaborative Robot Capabilities
One of the most anticipated demonstrations will feature the Thomson Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit. This collaborative seventh axis is engineered to significantly extend the horizontal operating range of collaborative robot (cobot) applications by up to an impressive 10 meters. The Movotrak system is a game-changer for facilities looking to maximize the utility of their cobots, allowing a single cobot to efficiently move between multiple workstations or cover a much larger process area than previously possible.
The Movotrak unit incorporates a sophisticated dual linear-unit design, which provides exceptional linear motion capabilities, superior moment load capacity, and enhanced stiffness – crucial for maintaining precision and stability across extended travel distances. Furthermore, it boasts integrated collision detection across its entire seventh axis, ensuring safe operation in human-robot collaborative environments. Its Freedrive programming capability simplifies cell setup, allowing operators to intuitively set linear waypoints, drastically reducing commissioning time and increasing operational flexibility.
The global market for collaborative robots has seen exponential growth, with projections indicating continued expansion as industries increasingly adopt automation to address labor shortages and boost productivity. The Movotrak Cobot Transfer Unit directly caters to this trend, offering manufacturers a cost-effective and adaptable solution to enhance the reach and versatility of their cobot investments, thereby improving throughput and optimizing floor space utilization in applications such as pick-and-place, inspection, material handling, and machine tending.
2. Kollmorgen Essentials Motion Systems: Streamlined Servo Control
Another highlight will be the Kollmorgen Essentials Motion Systems, a meticulously engineered motion control package designed to streamline the specification, configuration, and setup of servo motion systems for machine builders. Recognizing the increasing complexity of modern machinery, Kollmorgen has developed a solution that integrates a high-performance servo motor, a robust servo drive, and innovative single-cable power and data technology. This integration significantly reduces wiring complexity, simplifies installation, and improves system reliability.
The Kollmorgen Essentials systems offer broad compatibility, supporting common industrial Ethernet control systems, making them easy to integrate into existing automation architectures. Regal Rexnord will showcase the latest expansion of this line, which includes the powerful PCMM2G Essentials controller. This new controller, coupled with expanded high-voltage drive capabilities up to 4 kW, unlocks new possibilities for demanding applications in fast-paced sectors such as packaging, sophisticated warehouse automation, heavy-duty material handling, and precision forming. The ability to handle higher power requirements with a simplified, integrated system translates into faster machine cycles, greater precision, and reduced downtime for end-users.
3. Warner Electric Integrated Position Brake: Precision and Compactness
The exhibition will also feature the Warner Electric Integrated Position Brake, a testament to Regal Rexnord’s focus on compact and highly functional components. This innovative device combines a spring-applied, electrically released brake with embedded absolute position sensing in a single, compact assembly. Traditionally, braking and position feedback required separate components, often leading to more complex designs, longer drivetrain lengths, and increased installation time.
By integrating these functions, the Warner Electric brake significantly reduces the need for multiple components, enabling shorter drivetrain designs and offering OEMs greater flexibility in creating compact electric powertrains for automation, material handling, and mobile equipment. This level of integration not only saves valuable space within machine designs but also enhances system reliability by reducing the number of failure points. The precise position feedback ensures accurate control, crucial for applications requiring exact stops and starts, while the robust braking mechanism guarantees safety and operational integrity.
The Broader Impact: Driving Industry 4.0 and Beyond
Regal Rexnord’s product portfolio at Automate 2026 extends beyond these highlighted demonstrations, showcasing a comprehensive range of solutions critical for the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles. From the precision gearing of Boston Gear and Bauer Gear Motor to the specialized couplings of Huco and Berg, and the robust power transmission components of Stearns and Leeson, the company offers a complete ecosystem of products that enhance connectivity, data exchange, and smart manufacturing capabilities. ModSort’s material handling solutions and Portescap’s miniature motors further exemplify the breadth of Regal Rexnord’s commitment to providing targeted, high-performance components for specific industrial challenges.
The emphasis on compact footprints, reliable operation, and flexible layouts across Regal Rexnord’s offerings directly aligns with the broader industry trend towards more agile and adaptable manufacturing processes. In an era where production lines must rapidly reconfigure to accommodate diverse product variations and fluctuating demand, the ability to deploy systems quickly and integrate them seamlessly is paramount. Regal Rexnord’s solutions empower manufacturers to achieve greater operational efficiency, reduce total cost of ownership, and enhance their competitive edge in a dynamic global market.
Industry Trends and Supporting Data: The Automation Imperative
The drive towards greater automation is not merely a trend but an imperative for modern manufacturing. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), global robot installations have reached unprecedented levels, with millions of industrial robots now operating in factories worldwide. The IFR’s projections indicate continued strong growth, particularly in Asia, Europe, and North America, as companies seek to improve productivity, quality, and safety. The market for industrial automation, encompassing control systems, field devices, and enterprise-level solutions, is expected to exceed hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years, underscoring the vast potential and critical importance of events like Automate.
Key drivers include:
- Labor Shortages: An aging workforce and difficulty in attracting skilled labor are compelling industries to automate repetitive or dangerous tasks.
- Enhanced Productivity and Efficiency: Automated systems operate continuously with higher precision and speed than human workers, leading to increased output and reduced cycle times.
- Improved Quality and Consistency: Robotics and automated processes minimize human error, resulting in higher quality products and reduced waste.
- Supply Chain Resilience: Automation helps mitigate disruptions by enabling localized production, reducing reliance on global supply chains, and offering greater agility in responding to market changes.
- Cost Reduction: While initial investments can be substantial, automation often leads to significant long-term savings through reduced labor costs, optimized material usage, and lower operational expenses.
- Safety: Robots can perform tasks in hazardous environments, protecting human workers from injury.
Regal Rexnord’s portfolio directly contributes to addressing these drivers, offering the foundational technologies that enable these transformations.
A Vision for the Future of Manufacturing
"We are incredibly excited to return to Automate 2026 and showcase how Regal Rexnord is at the forefront of driving the next generation of industrial automation," stated a hypothetical Regal Rexnord spokesperson. "Our integrated portfolio, featuring innovations from Thomson, Kollmorgen, Warner Electric, and our other esteemed brands, is designed to empower manufacturers and system integrators to build more flexible, reliable, and efficient machines and production lines. We understand the challenges our customers face – from the need for quicker deployment and easier integration to the demand for compact, high-performance solutions. Our goal is to provide the critical components that not only meet these needs but also pave the way for a more automated, productive, and sustainable future for manufacturing."
This sentiment underscores Regal Rexnord’s strategic vision: to be the partner of choice for companies navigating the complexities of modern industrial transformation. By offering a unified ecosystem of advanced motion control, power transmission, and automation products, the company aims to simplify the journey towards fully automated and intelligent factories.
Implications for Manufacturers and System Integrators
The solutions presented by Regal Rexnord at Automate 2026 carry significant implications for the broader manufacturing ecosystem:
- For Manufacturers: The ability to deploy collaborative robots with extended reach, streamline servo system integration, and incorporate compact, multi-functional components means faster time-to-market for new products, increased operational uptime, and greater flexibility in production scaling. This directly translates to enhanced competitiveness and adaptability in a rapidly changing market.
- For System Integrators: The availability of pre-engineered, compatible, and well-supported components from a single trusted source simplifies the design, installation, and commissioning of complex automation projects. This reduces project risk, accelerates deployment schedules, and frees up engineering resources to focus on higher-value tasks.
- For Machine Builders (OEMs): The compact designs, integrated functionalities, and robust performance of Regal Rexnord products enable OEMs to create more innovative, space-efficient, and feature-rich machines that stand out in the marketplace.
Automate 2026 serves as more than just an exhibition; it is a critical educational and networking event where industry professionals can gain insights into future trends, connect with technology providers, and explore collaborative opportunities. Regal Rexnord’s significant presence reinforces its position as a thought leader and key enabler of advanced manufacturing. Attendees are encouraged to visit Booth 17030 to engage with product specialists, witness live demonstrations, and discover how Regal Rexnord’s integrated solutions can drive their automation initiatives forward.
For further information on Regal Rexnord’s extensive product offerings and its vision for industrial automation, interested parties are invited to visit regalrexnord.com. The company’s participation at Automate 2026 solidifies its role in shaping the future of smart manufacturing and delivering tangible value to industries worldwide.
