Automatica is the very first international event that brings together all branches of the Robotics & Automation Industry under the same roof in a single event

Automatica, International Trade Fair for Automation and Mechatronics, took place in Munich from 8 to 11 June 2010 and presented the world's largest range of products in robotics and automation. It expanded its leadership role and again attracted decision-makers and experts from the whole world. With approximately 31,000 visitors, the event provided important stimuli for the economic development of the automation industry

High Number of Visitors from Foreign Countries

The good results were reflected in a very high number of trade fair visitors and an increase in the number of foreign guests. Overall, 34 per cent of the visitors came from other countries, which represents a substantial increase of 26 per cent compared to 2008. The visitors came from 114 countries. In addition to Germany, the highest number of visitors came from Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, France, Slovenia, the USA, Spain, Great Britain and Denmark. 88% of visitors mentioned Automatica as a leading trade fair for the industry; 94% assessed it as "excellent to good"; and 92% visitors gave top grades for the completeness of range of offer.

All Key Players Present Again

The results among exhibitors underline the importance Automatica as a leading international trade fair of the automation industry. Automatica 2010 recorded 708 exhibitors. The trade fair took place in four completely filled halls on 44,000 sq.m. The share of foreign exhibitors was 32 per cent. A total of 42 countries were represented. Overall, the visitors were impressed at the stands and special exhibitions by the great variety of innovations. Many exhibitors again used Automatica as a platform for European or world premieres. Leading institutes presented outstanding research results, which provided an impressive outlook for the future with numerous exhibits.

Panel Discussion on Automation Industry in India

The automation and robotic industry is one of the leading manufacturing sectors in all industrialised and industrialising countries in the world. Due to its pervasive applicability, the industry is strongly linked to microeconomic conditions and is also considered a leading indicator to the health of an economy.

In India, the robotic and automation industry is in a nascent stage. This industry has huge potential to cater to needs of versatile tasks required by various industries.

On 11th June 2010 the Robotics & Automation division within German Engineering Federation (VDMA) organised a Panel Discussion on "Robotic & Automation Industry in India-Opportunities and Challenges".

The Panel Discussion was moderated by Mr Rajesh Nath, Managing Director VDMA India. The panel consisted of the following eminent persons:

Mr Raj Singh Rathee, Managing Director, KUKA Robotics India Pvt Ltd

Mr Rajesh Ananthakrishnan, Managing Director, Reflex Technologies Pvt Ltd

Mr Anish Soneja, CEO & Managing Director, Menzel Vision & Robotics Pvt Ltd

Mr Rajendra Phatak, Managing Director, Sortimat India

Mr M M Singh, Managing Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd

Mr A Mudgal, Consul General, Indian Consulate in Munich, gave the welcome address where he mentioned that any technological intervention in the economy should be sensitive to the expectations and perception of the society with regards to its impact on employment.

• In a developing country like India, because of the social implications, achieving the right balance between manual operation and automation is a challenge
• Suppliers need to understand that ultimately the return from any technology solution depends on how effectively people use them. Systems have to be people centric and technology driven
• Despite the fact that Indian industrial landscape is opening up with new possibilities and prospects in automation sector, the sector faces serious challenges in integrating new technologies and improving services to make the most out of the growing market, and
• When we talk of application of automation and robotics, we find that India in terms of market has immense potential. However only a fraction of this has been realised.

The Panelist agreed on the virtues of automation like lower costs, greater production flexibility, consistent quality, efficient tracking and tracing, better scheduling the production, less downtime during changeovers, reduces product losses, recovery of material during process start/stop.

However, in India a right balance has to be struck between automation and manual work because of the huge labour force in the country.

Today as the balance of global power shifts to the East, India is regarded with awe for having weathered the financial storm better than most. The Indian economy is projected to become the second largest in the world after China. However this can only be achieved through wide spread usage of automation to bring down cost, improve productivity, quality and reduction in delivery time. This would give the Indian industry a competitive edge and is the way forward.