Automation and robotics to have a greater presence at NMW 2018

According to the organisers, National Manufacturing Week 2018 will have a much greater focus on automation and robotics than it has had in recent years. For some years, the automation industry has been relatively under-represented at NMW, compared with other manufacturing-related industries, but the focus recently on initiatives such as Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing and the IIoT may well spur more automation vendors to take part.

As the organisers rightly point out, automation and robotics are revolutionising factory floors. From handling raw materials to packing the finished product, many manufacturers have seen productivity extensively improve. The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre stated in a recent report that successful companies have an automation rate on average 1.3 times greater than that of less successful companies.

The expanded Automation and Robotics Zone at National Manufacturing Week 2018 is said to be reflective of this shift in the industry and will feature traditional automation and robotics solutions to assistive technologies including collaborative robots and augmentation solutions.

With a program running across the three days, the NMW Conference Program will address some of the main concerns of the industry around automation and robotics such as digitally enabling the existing workforce, while also examining some of the opportunities automation and robotics represents including using collaborative robots in the manufacturing process.

Registration for National Manufacturing Week is absolutely free, so sign up today by clicking here.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Baran Özdemir