The 12th edition of the expo created another benchmark with its grand success encapsulating the complete foray of automation at one spot.

With the intent of providing an ideal platform for Indian and global automation sector to converge and showcase their latest technologies, advancements, solutions and services, IED Communications hosted the 12th edition of ‘Automation Expo 2017’ from August 9-12, 2017, at Hall No.1, Bombay Exhibition Centre, in Mumbai. The automation exhibition was conducted on a biennial frequency beginning in the year 2002, but since 2011, this has become an annual event.

Supported by Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and a host of other professional bodies, Automation Expo is India’s biggest and South East Asia’s 2nd biggest automation show. The 12th edition attracted a record number of exhibitors with over 900 companies from over two dozen countries at the event. The exhibition was spread across an area of 23,000 sq.mtr displaying a vast array of products and innovations from global leaders in the field of Industrial Automation, now entering the era of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The automation show was inaugurated at a grand opening ceremony in the presence of an august gathering of industry stalwarts and automation professionals. M. Arokiaswamy, Managing Director, IED Communications Ltd, the brain behind this mega exhibition said, “Automation is no longer an emerging trend or a cutting edge technology for the future. It is the reality we need to live with, here and now. Today there is a pressing need for every industry in India to embrace automation to take on global competition”. The exhibition brought together the who’s who of the industry, decision makers, technocrats, and technology enthusiasts. It provided professionals like fund managers and venture capitalists an opportunity to mingle with technology providers in one-to-one meetings seeking investment opportunities and explore mergers & acquisitions (M&A) possibilities to create sustainable business models for the future.

Universal Robots, a leading manufacturers of advanced user-friendly and light industrial robotic arms from Denmark showcased their products and their latest technological advancement in collaborative robots or ‘Co-bots’. Pradeep David, General Manager, Universal Robots, South Asia said, “The UR robots arms can automate virtually anything, we mean virtually anything; from assembly to painting, screw driving, labelling, packing, polishing, and injection and whatever other tasks you can think of.”

Over 20,000 state-of-the-art products and cutting edge technologies were exhibited during the four-day extravaganza from the field of Process automation and control systems, factory automation, industrial automation, field instrumentation, smart sensors and controllers, robotics and machine automation, motors-drives, software solutions, bus technologies, wireless technologies, building automation, automation in hydraulics-pneumatics, automation in renewable energy and safety-security systems, etc.

Commenting on OMRON’s participation at the Automation Expo 2017, Sameer Gandhi, Managing Director, OMRON Automation India, said, “With the accelerated growth of technology and advancement in the industry we aim to bring in futuristic solutions that are built on the pillar of harmony between ‘Man and Machine’. Catering to many industry segments such as automotive, packaging, FMCG, Food n Beverage, infrastructure, our solutions are based on ILOR+ S solution (Input, Logic, Output, Robotics Safety) helping India meet the manufacturing needs of tomorrow. With the new manufacturing policy in offing, we are ready to serve our customers in the manufacturing sector with high-end as well as mid-range automation solutions.”

Following concurrent events were also conducted during the 4-day expo: CEO Summit on Innovation and R&D, Conference on Automation in Pharma, Conference on Industrial Internet of things, Machine Safety Interactive Session, Conference on Cyber Security, Workshop on SIL and Functional Safety. The 12th edition of the show thus witnessed more than 50,000 visitors from various OEMs and industries such as oil and gas, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, food processing, fertilisers and chemicals, cement, glass, electrical and electronics, and other automation technology users and solutions providers with more than 900 top automation manufacturers and solution providers.