By R. Natarajan, Managing Editor & Publisher
Automatica 2012, the world’s largest show on the automation industry organised by Messe München GmbH at New Munich Trade Fair Centre during May 22-25, set a fresh record by attracting 31,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries and by proving the world’s meeting point for global leaders of robotics and automation-related industries.
The event this time covered five trade fair halls compared to four halls at the previous show held in 2010. Almost all the prominent players in the automation sector, including FANUC, KUKA, Yaskawa Motoman, ABB, Adept, Festo, ISRA Vision, Reis Robotics, SCHUNK, Baumuller, Epson, Comau, Denso and Stäubli, made a fine display of their new technologies and innovations.
On May 23, at the IFR CEO Roundtable, the industry captains deliberated on the problems and prospects of the robotics industry. Almost every speaker agreed that the automotive sector is one of the major beneficiaries and the key driver of robotics growth. Why, the world’s first robot was installed in General Motors of the US in 1961.
In an exclusive interview to the MOTORINDIA Managing Editor, Mr. R. Natarajan, who specially invited to cover the show, Mr. Norbert Bargmann, Deputy CEO, Messe München, said the exhibitors at Automatica 2012 were quite happy with the quality of visitors and the enquiries received during the event. This year, apart from the white-collared decision-making business executives, many blue-collared technically qualified representatives from different companies also visited the show, creating a new profile of visitors.
Mr. Bargmann spoke on the growing importance of the automation platform for Europe and announced the proposal to hold the new India Automation Technology Fair (IATF) at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) in Mumbai from February 1 to 3, 2013, the main goal being to make it a leading trade fair for the automation industry in India.
It is learnt that for the first time Messe München International (MMI) is jointly organising an automation fair outside Germany. This clearly confirms the role and importance of India’s growing manufacturing activities.
One-third of the visitors at Automatica 2012 came from foreign countries, the highest number of them from Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Turkey, France, Poland and the Russian Federation. That the global reach of the fair was beyond all expectations has very well been confirmed by the strong participation from the Russian Federation, Turkey, Poland, Brazil, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
The current figures of VDMA Robotics and Automation prove beyond doubt that the automation technology is in for further transformation. Following the growth of 35 per cent in 2011, the association expects further growth of four per cent in the current year. This market situation was obvious at Automatica, and the fair scored in all survey results with a good business mood and satisfied participants.
The independent market research institute TNS Infratest declared that 96 per cent of the visitors were more than satisfied with the offers made, and 95 per cent confirmed the leading trade fair character of the show. A total of 84 per cent commended the topic sustainable technologies and hailed the VDMA initiative Blue Competence.
Top grades from exhibitors
The exhibitors felt happy that the presence of a great number of visitors at the fair proved ideal for their sales activities. More than 720 exhibitors from 40 countries displayed their solutions for the manufacturing industry, 30 per cent of them from foreign countries. The five top exhibitor countries, in addition to Germany, were Italy, Switzerland, Austria, the US and France, in that order. A total of 91 per cent cited the quality of visitors and confirmed their high degree of decision-making competence. Almost 94 per cent indicated that they would participate in the trade fair again.
Exhibitors highly impressed
Thomas Visti, Vice President at Universal Robots ApS from Denmark, said: “Automatica is extremely important for us as robot manufacturers. To put it succinctly, it is the right trade fair in every aspect! The general level of visitors is very high, and we are really very satisfied with the number of visitors too.”
Thilo Brodtmann, Managing Director of VDMA Robotics + Automation, said: “Automatica did complete justice to its role as the leading international trade fair for robotics and automation. It ignited innovation fireworks with pioneering solutions for production optimization, energy and resource efficiency, future mobility and lightweight construction. Visitors do not get such a comprehensive overview anywhere else of how they can increase their competitiveness and consequently business success in the long term.”
All praise from the political sphere
Robert Madelin, Director General for the Information Society of the European Commission, opened the trade fair, visibly impressed as the EU representative: “Automatica has quickly established itself as one of the leading international trade fairs in robotics and automation. This is my first time here, and I am hugely impressed by what I am seeing from the hundreds of exhibitors, the majority of whom are from Europe.”
Dr. Bernhard Heitzer, Under-Secretary in the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), observed: “Robotics and automation have become indispensable in our modern industrial society. Automatica has become the showcase for modern robotics and automation technologies in the meantime. It has become the largest of its kind in the world. Exhibitors prove their innovative force impressively here.”