Modern-day industrial expos are featuring more advanced technologies as the manufacturing sector transitions to digital operations. As manufacturers continue to adopt smart technologies and transition their facilities into smart factories, these industry events will progress into advanced manufacturing expos.
The show floors at industrial expos are full of automated machinery, software solutions, and cutting-edge technologies. All these new solutions are aimed at helping manufacturers improve production and overcome the industry’s current challenges. Long-time attendees have witnessed this shift in manufacturing trends and seen the industry progression over the years as these events have embraced innovation.
Industrial expos of the past can’t compare to the manufacturing technologies on display at today’s events. Manufacturers who may have previously written off industry events can find out what to expect at industrial expos in the age of advanced manufacturing.
A New-Age Show Floor
Machinery has always been a common sight at industrial expos. Attending these events has often been the best way to get hands-on experience with new technology and equipment in the manufacturing space. That aspect hasn’t changed, but now offerings on the event’s show floor are more diverse.
Along with the machinery, there are virtual reality headsets, automated displays, artificial intelligence-driven software models, and more. Now manufacturers attending industrial expos can not only explore machines, but also get a sense of the new technologies gaining traction in the industry — and learn how these technologies improve operations.
In addition to being able to interact with technology in person, attendees can also discover how certain technologies fit into the manufacturing world. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), for example, have some great use cases in employee training. This technology provides virtual environments where manufacturing workers can learn new processes, skills, systems, and more. AR and VR allow for low-stakes situations where an employee can safely learn new things.
Another common technology attendees will come across at advanced industrial expos is automation. Automation isn’t necessarily new to the manufacturing sector, but since its inception, this technology has been continually advancing. In the past, automation technologies consisted of robotic arms that had to be fenced off from human workers for safety.
There is a much greater range of automation technologies today. From collaborative robots — “cobots” — to more automation within machinery to automation software solutions, there are plenty of options for manufacturers to explore. All of this tech is often on view at industrial expos, allowing attendees to learn more about the capabilities of automation.
Software in general is much more prevalent at modern-day industrial expos. The manufacturing industry is becoming more digital, driving these events to incorporate a variety of digital technology providers. Attendees can see demonstrations for manufacturing execution systems, machine monitoring software, maintenance systems, and other prominent digital solutions. Having software on display throughout the show floor at industrial expos gives manufacturers a chance to discover new technologies that can improve their operations.
Learning New Innovations and Strategies in Manufacturing
Aside from all the new technologies making their way into industrial expos, these events have also integrated knowledge sessions. These sessions have taken on a few different forms. Some events include a full day of conference sessions, others have different topic-based tracks going on simultaneously, and many include programming happening right on the show floor.
Knowledge sessions at manufacturing events are important for the industry to continue to advance. Presentations at these trade shows are given by experts from industry-leading companies and manufacturing organizations. From delving into how innovative technologies can improve operations to exploring new strategies for increasing efficiency to discussing how to best overcome top manufacturing challenges, event presentations offer a vast amount of information to attendees.
Regardless of how attendees interact with these sessions, the content overall offers a huge benefit to manufacturing and industry professionals. The issues manufacturers are facing are often far-reaching throughout the industry and shared by many companies. These presentations reflect this fact and give attendees applicable solutions. The expert insights given provide manufacturers with fresh perspectives on how to solve problems and new strategies they can implement into their own production operations.
Embracing Advanced Manufacturing at Industrial Expos
With the absence and subsequent return of in-person events, there has been a shift in the function of industrial expos. These events still offer the manufacturing industry a place to get hands-on experience and an up-close look at machinery and technology, but they are evolving to be so much more than that.
The increasing adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and the transition to industry 4.0 are pushing the sector into the digital age. And as manufacturing advances, industrial events are progressing to keep in stride with the industry. Attendees at these industrial expos can expect more smart manufacturing technologies on display and more learning sessions built into event schedules.
This focus on advanced manufacturing is driving the industry forward at a faster pace and helping manufacturers more readily embrace these changes. With the manufacturing industry evolving, attending industrial expos to stay up to date with trends and technologies is more important than ever for companies looking to remain competitive.
If you’re a manufacturing professional interested in discovering what industrial expos can offer you and your company, learn about attending the Manufacturing Technology Series events. Featuring EASTEC, HOUSTEX, SOUTHTEC, and WESTEC, this series hosts premier events that feature prominent and innovative manufacturing technologies and expert-led knowledge sessions. This is one set of industrial expos you won’t want to miss.