A Glimpse at Machining Overseas

With its theme as ‘Intelligence in Production,’ EMO Hannover–a leading international trade fair for the machine tool industry I attended last week–showcased solutions for improving energy and resource efficiency, user-friendly equipment and technology for the intelligent integration of machines (more on that later).

Similar to manufacturing in the United States, European industry "is rebounding, and keen on investing in manufacturing technology,” according to EMO General Commissioner Carl Martin Welcker.

The event ended on Saturday, and during the six days prior more than 2,100 exhibitors from 43 different countries were on the show floor. The event reports a total of approximately 145,000 attendees from more than 100 different nations.

Also noted is that Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Russia topped the attendance numbers for the European continent. By a very wide margin, China accounted for the largest number of visitors from Asia, followed by Japan, Taiwan and India.  Very minimal North American presence.

However, I did see a U.S. moldmaker on the show floor (from a prominent footwear company) seeking out new and innovative technologies and processes that he may not see in the States. I will say, the impressive size and scope of the event as well as the abundance of exhibitors unfamiliar to me was a sight to see. Worth the visit.

The next EMO will be October 5 - 10, 2015 in Milan, Italy with the motto: “Let’s build the future.”