LG CNS is using IMTS 2026 in Chicago to expand its North American smart manufacturing push, showcasing AI-powered factory technologies spanning digital twins, manufacturing execution and predictive equipment management. The Korean technology company is positioning its Factova platform around a broader shift toward Industrial AI, where manufacturers are applying connected data, simulation and machine learning across production operations rather than isolated factory tasks.
LG CNS is bringing its Factova smart factory platform to IMTS 2026 as manufacturers increasingly look to artificial intelligence to improve production efficiency, equipment reliability and operational decision-making.
The International Manufacturing Technology Show runs September 14–19 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The official event site lists more than 1,800 exhibitors, 90,000 visitors and 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space, making the show a significant meeting point for industrial automation, software and manufacturing technology vendors.
Industrial AI is a major focus at this year’s event, including a dedicated Industrial AI Arena and conference. IMTS says the technology is increasingly being applied across areas such as production, process planning, quality and delivery.
LG CNS is using that environment to demonstrate several Factova capabilities. The platform combines AI, IoT, big data and manufacturing expertise to connect production data with operational systems. The company says its experience spans more than 100 manufacturing sites globally, including projects involving electronics, batteries and chemicals.
One of the more notable components is Factova Worldworks, a digital-twin-based simulation environment. Instead of testing every production scenario on physical equipment, manufacturers can create a virtual representation of a factory and examine layouts, equipment placement, logistics flows and operating conditions before making changes on the factory floor.
LG CNS’s broader virtual-factory technology similarly combines simulation, AI, big data and optimization to support data-driven decisions in manufacturing environments. The company describes digital twins as a way to validate production and logistics scenarios virtually and connect simulations with real-world operational data.
That approach becomes particularly relevant when manufacturers are designing new facilities or changing production lines. Virtual testing can expose potential bottlenecks before equipment is installed, while historical production data can be used to model operating scenarios and production plans.
Factova MES addresses another layer of the manufacturing stack. The manufacturing execution system manages production workflows and connects process information with equipment and quality data. LG CNS describes MES as a core component of data-driven smart factories because it provides real-time visibility into production status, quality and resource allocation.
The company’s modular approach is also aimed at manufacturers that do not want to deploy an entire manufacturing software stack at once. Factova’s capabilities can be configured around different industries and processes, allowing companies to expand the system as their digital manufacturing programs mature. LG CNS says the platform can connect MES with related systems including statistical process control, IoT, fault detection and classification, quality management and other factory applications.
Factova Control focuses closer to the machine level. It collects and standardizes data from equipment made by different vendors and can analyze signals such as electrical current, temperature and vibration. AI-based anomaly detection can then identify patterns associated with potential equipment problems and support predictive maintenance.
LG CNS says Factova Control is deployed across more than 100,000 manufacturing machines worldwide. The company has also described similar capabilities as a way to shift factories from manual inspection toward predictive equipment management.
The push comes as manufacturing AI moves beyond individual computer-vision or predictive-maintenance applications toward broader operational intelligence. IDC’s 2026 manufacturing research identifies cloud platforms, connected-asset data and workforce augmentation as important areas in the industry’s next stage of AI adoption, with generative, agentic and predictive AI expected to contribute to increasingly integrated factory operations.
There is still a gap between interest in advanced automation and the operational foundations required to deploy it. Gartner reported in 2025 that 49% of surveyed manufacturing and supply-chain leaders lacked confidence that their manufacturing strategy would deliver expected business outcomes over the following three years. Two-thirds said they were not pursuing the aggressive redesign of operations Gartner associated with advanced automation, AI and autonomous robotics.
That makes platforms that connect machine data, manufacturing execution, simulation and AI particularly relevant. LG CNS is competing in a market that includes industrial software vendors, cloud providers and automation companies, with platforms increasingly expected to bridge operational technology and enterprise IT.
For North American manufacturers, the question is therefore less about whether AI can analyze factory data and more about how that intelligence can be integrated into production systems without disrupting established operations. LG CNS’s IMTS showcase puts Factova directly into that conversation, with digital twins, MES and predictive equipment intelligence forming the core of its approach.
Market Landscape
Industrial AI is moving toward integrated manufacturing architectures rather than isolated AI pilots. Digital twins provide simulation, MES connects production execution with operational data, and machine-level AI can identify equipment anomalies. Cloud and data platforms from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google are also contributing to the infrastructure layer needed to scale these workloads.
The competitive landscape increasingly spans traditional industrial automation, manufacturing software, AI infrastructure and enterprise technology. IDC identifies cloud adoption, connected-asset data and workforce augmentation as major areas of opportunity for manufacturing AI.
Top Insights
- LG CNS is positioning Factova as an integrated AI smart factory platform covering simulation, production execution and equipment intelligence.
- Factova Worldworks uses digital twins to test factory layouts, logistics and production scenarios before physical implementation.
- Factova MES provides real-time manufacturing execution and modular functionality that can expand across industries and processes.
- Factova Control analyzes equipment data for anomaly detection and predictive maintenance across more than 100,000 machines, according to LG CNS.
- IMTS 2026 reflects manufacturing’s broader shift toward Industrial AI spanning production, automation, quality and operational decision-making.
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