We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the resurgence of manufacturing in the U.S. Tesla Motors has been a high-profile company in this movement, making a point of manufacturing its high-end electric cars in Northern California. But there are several manufacturers finding that low energy prices in this country and—to a lesser extent—rising wages in developing countries are making the “reshoring” of American manufacturing more attractive. Increasing automation is key to keeping manufacturing jobs local.
Technology end users, experts and other industry professionals will convene May 20-21 at the Chicago Marriott O’Hare for The Automation Conference to explore how today’s leading-edge automation technologies are fueling this growth. Now in its third year, the conference is designed for engineering and management professionals within discrete manufacturing, packaging, and continuous and batch processing. The conference is produced by Summit Media Group’s Automation World, Packaging World and Healthcare Packaging brands.
“Industrial automation is really at the heart of the manufacturing renaissance,” says David Greenfield, Automation World’s director of content/editor in chief and moderator for the conference. “Within discrete manufacturing, batch and continuous processing, and packaging, automation is the fundamental driver of increased efficiency. What distinguishes The Automation Conference is our exclusive focus on automation, and our commitment to peer-to-peer education that allows attendees to hear firsthand from the individuals who are using the products and technologies being discussed. We’re looking forward to another excellent program.”
Confirmed speakers for the 2014 event include professionals from General Motors, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Sherwin Williams, Bosch Automotive, 3M, MeadWestvaco, Bush Brothers and other well-known organizations. In addition, key technology partners will share details of automation-related installations for Boeing and the Department of Defense. A few of the topics to be covered include controls security, cloud-based automation/enterprise integration, battery-free automated guided vehicles (AGVs), automating testing technology, using embedded FPGAs to maximize energy usage, real-time data acquisition, and training tomorrow’s workforce.
