Open Mind Technologies made a compelling impression at MACH 2026, attracting a steady stream of visitors throughout the event.
The CAD/CAM specialist showcased the latest advancements in the newest version of its hyperMILL CAD/CAM suite, with live demonstrations drawing consistent interest across solutions for digital process chains, connected manufacturing, automation, turning, and hyperMILL Virtual Machining. The quality of engagement at the stand reflected the appetite within UK manufacturing for smarter, more connected digital workflows.
Ken Baldwin, managing director of Open Mind Technologies UK, said: “The footfall at our stand was excellent, and, more importantly, the conversations we had were of a very high calibre. We spoke with manufacturers across a wide range of sectors who are genuinely looking to accelerate their digital integration journey – and within the hyperMILL ecosystem, we have all the tools to drive genuine momentum.”
A centrepiece of the Open Mind presence at MACH was the live integration of hyperMILL with Hummingbird MES, demonstrating how production processes can be made more transparent, efficient, and flexible. Visitors saw how all production-related data can be accessed anywhere in a business at any time, supporting consistent process organisation. The Kanban board functionality within Hummingbird MES – enabling comprehensive planning oversight and real-time team communication – generated particular interest among manufacturers.
The digital tool management capabilities of the Hummingbird MES platform also attracted significant attention, with visitors keen to understand how greater transparency in tool management could reduce delays, lower excess stock costs, and eliminate the risks associated with missing or incorrect data.
“The integration story between hyperMILL and Hummingbird MES was one of the strongest talking points at the show,” Mr Baldwin continued. “We had some really productive conversations with companies that are beginning to think seriously about MES adoption, and the ability to see it working live alongside CAM was just one of the many factors that will turn our leads into business after the show. The lead generation from MACH was the best we have seen in some time.”
MACH 2026 also marked the UK debut of hyperMILL Intelligence, a new capability that addresses real manufacturing challenges across five core areas, including rule-based automation, tool and machine optimisation, and AI-assisted programming. The technology – which combines automation, optimisation, and artificial intelligence to deliver measurable shopfloor results – attracted considerable interest from visitors seeking to reduce routine programming tasks and safeguard manufacturing knowledge.
“The response to hyperMILL Intelligence was everything we had hoped for,” said Mr Baldwin. “Manufacturers are increasingly aware of the risks of knowledge loss and the inefficiencies of manual, repetitive programming tasks. Seeing a practical, coherent answer to those challenges, one that scales from rule-based automation to AI assistance, clearly resonated. We left the show with a significant number of follow-up appointments already booked.”
MACH also provided the UK premiere of hyperMILL 2026, with the UK team presenting the new version’s innovations to visitors throughout the show. The reception was enthusiastic, with many attendees scheduling further discussions to explore how the latest capabilities could be applied within their own operations.
“MACH continues to be an important platform for us in the UK calendar, and 2026 reinforced exactly why,” Mr Baldwin concluded. “The quality of visitors, the depth of conversation, and the genuine openness to investment that we encountered gave the entire Open Mind team a great deal of confidence in the outlook for UK manufacturing. We expect a high number of our MACH conversations to convert into significant projects over the coming months.”