FABTECH 2025 Recap: Highlights, Trends, and Key Takeaways for the Metal Forming & Fabrication Industry

FABTECH 2025 brought the global metal forming and fabricating industry together in Chicago, and it did not disappoint. With more than 50,000 attendees and over 1,700 exhibitors, the show floor was buzzing with innovation, energy, and collaboration. Now that the dust has settled, here’s a look at the standout highlights and the major trends shaping the future of metal fabrication.

A Showcase of Advanced Manufacturing Technology

One of the strongest takeaways from FABTECH 2025 was the sheer scale of innovation on display. Across the show floor, equipment manufacturers unveiled:

• Highly automated roll forming and fabrication systems
  
  
• Connected, data-driven production workflows that integrate CAD/CAM directly into shop floor machinery
  
  
• In-line punching, cutoff, and finishing solutions designed to reduce handling, shorten cycle times, and improve precision
  
  
• Modular and flexible equipment built to accommodate shorter lead times and rapid design changes

Attendees noted that this year’s show focused less on futuristic prototypes and more on real-world, ready-to-implement solutions, technologies that can immediately boost productivity, reduce waste, and address labor shortages.

Major Industry Themes and Conversations

Beyond the machinery, the conversations happening in education sessions and across the show floor revealed clear industry-wide priorities, many of which align closely with how Formtek is helping move the fabricating and forming industry forward.

Automation, Digitalization, and Industry 4.0

Smart factories, IIoT connectivity, real-time monitoring, and robotics were everywhere—and are now viewed less as emerging trends and more as competitive necessities.

Formtek is advancing this shift through innovations like the TruPosition© Top Shaft Adjustment system for roll forming machines, which enhances automation, reduces manual adjustments, and increases setup accuracy, key capabilities for connected, data-driven production environments.

Sustainability and Efficiency

Rising material and energy costs are driving adoption of energy-efficient machines, waste-reducing processes, and environmentally conscious practices.

Formtek supports these goals with quick change rafting systems that enable rapid product changeovers, helping customers achieve higher productivity while minimizing downtime, material waste, and energy use.

Workforce and Skills Development

Labor shortages continue to be a pressing challenge. Many sessions explored strategies for upskilling the workforce, adopting automation to fill gaps, and improving workplace diversity and retention. Initiatives like Women of FABTECH stood out as highlights.

Formtek has long provided expert service technicians to support customers in the field and is now developing roll technician training systems to help build the next generation of skilled roll forming professionals.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

Educational sessions were packed, reflecting the industry’s hunger for practical guidance. Attendees appreciated the opportunity to see new technology in action while also learning how to integrate it effectively.

Formtek actively contributes to this knowledge-sharing culture by partnering with organizations like the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) and through expert-led educational sessions by team members such as Brian Rodgers and Paul Williams, who regularly share best practices and technical insights with the industry.

Opportunities and Challenges

While the sentiment around FABTECH 2025 was overwhelmingly positive, industry voices also raised important considerations.

• Integration and Support Are Key: Buyers are seeking not just advanced machinery, but also strong post-sale support, training, and system interoperability.
  
  
• ROI and Capital Constraints: For smaller shops, adopting new technology can be challenging. Many are weighing which upgrades will deliver the greatest return without disrupting existing workflows.
  
  
• Execution vs. Inspiration: Seeing innovation is one thing, implementing it is another. Companies must plan for training, maintenance, and supply chain support when adopting next-generation systems.

Looking Ahead

FABTECH 2025 underscored that the future of metal fabrication is becoming more connected, more automated, and more sustainable, and the pace of change is accelerating.

As manufacturers head home from Chicago and look toward FABTECH 2026 in Las Vegas, one thing is clear: those who embrace digital integration, smart automation, and workforce development will lead the next era of metal forming.