Full education programme announced for Smart Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2024

Visitors are encouraged to plan their programme in advance, and this can be easily done using the individual theatre exploration tools available on the website. There are eight solution theatres in total covering the topics of: Digital transformation, IIoT and connectivity, industrial data and AI, innovation, maintenance, drives and technology, air-tech solutions, and fluid power and systems.

Highlights from the keynote presentations include Neelofar Ansari, senior manufacturing engineer at BAE Systems who is presenting on the intriguing topic of Human Augmentation: Connecting with Manufacturing Environments in the IIoT and Connectivity Theatre on day one.

Additionally, Daniel Smalley from Siemens, along with Ian Clarke from InControl Systems, will talk about Demystifying Digitalisation and Growth on day two.

Meanwhile, in the Design and Innovation Theatre, Sam Tilley from Omron will be joined by Carl Diver from Manchester Metropolitan University to give a presentation on day one entitled How does the Skills Gap Affect the Future Technology Sector. Also, Roy Haworth, head of Digital Mock Up Process and Implementation at Airbus Defence and Space will be talking about Using CAD data to drive data fusion and 3D visualisation on day two.

Elsewhere in the Design and& Innovation Theatre, Geoff Mackey, UK Country head at Plastics Europe will be talking about Product design today, an essential for circularity and how product design plays a crucial role in fostering circularity in manufacturing. Material selection and understanding are key for effective recycling. Thoughtful design choices can lead to more sustainable products, less waste, and better business results. We need a future where design and lifecycle analysis drive innovation and environmental responsibility, emphasizing durability, repairability, and modularity to extend product lifecycles, reducing disposal frequency and promoting circularity.

Additionally, in the Drives and Technology Theatre, Krishna Mistry, VP of series engineering, at Verge Motorcycles will be covering Agile Engineering Cycles: Optimising Design, Development, and Deployment in Manufacturing. Also appearing is David Barret-Hague from Schneider, who will be joined by Grant Coffin from Rockwell Automation to give a presentation on day one entitled Industrial Automation Trends, Past Present and Future.

On day two, Patrick Dion-Fehily from Mitsubishi Electrics will be joined by Martyn Williams from COPA-DATA to present The Importance of Sustainable Manufacturing.

Meanwhile, in the Air-Tech Theatre, Ahmed Kovacevic, research chair in Compressor Technology will present on the subject of: PDM Analysis, the creator and distributor of software SCORG for design and analysis of superior screw compressors and expanders. The software is used by most of leading OEMs in air and vacuum technologies, hydrogen compression, refrigeration, air conditioning, high temperature heat pumps, oil and gas and process industries.

As well as the free to attend educational content there are also two summits that run alongside the exhibitions namely the Industrial Data and AI Summit and the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit. Now in its seventh year the Industrial Data and AI Summit takes place on the 5th of June and focuses on Data Management and Data Insights. The structure of the summit includes four keynote presentations, a panel discussion and two 60-minute roundtable discussion sessions.

The summit allows senior leaders to hear from the sectors most respected experts as well as to share their knowledge and experiences with their peers. The roundtable sessions offer a unique opportunity for in-depth discussions on topics ranging from Data Integration and Management to Developing a Data Driven Business to Generative AI.

Taking place on both 5 and 6 June is The Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit. This summit includes eight keynote presentations, two panel discussions and four 60-minute roundtable discussion sessions. The Summit focuses on how digitalisation is changing the way in which products are designed, produced, used and maintained as well as transforming the operations, processes and energy footprints of factories and supply chains. This summit is broken down into two streams, the Enterprise stream is for those working within businesses with revenues more than 100 million while the Growth stream is for those less than 100 million (theoretically classed as SMEs).

As well as the two summits, the Automation and Robotics Accelerator Symposium, taking place on 6 June, is intended for manufacturing executives interested in leveraging automation and robotics within their organisations. This half-day event, organised by The Manufacturer, focuses on the implementation and optimisation of automation to drive business growth. It's an essential event for those at any stage of automation integration, offering insights into best practices, technology deep dives, and the impact of automation on the workforce. Attendees will benefit from discussions on a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, and FMCG.

In addition to the education programme a myriad of other activities will be taking place at Smart Manufacturing and Engineering Week. The main days are 5-6 June 2024 with Smart Factory Expo, Design and Engineering Expo and Maintec in Hall 4 at the NEC and Drives and Controls, Fluid Power and Systems and Air-tech in Hall 5.

Other exhibitions are also taking place at the NEC during the week, and these include TCT 3Sixty from Rapid News Group and Subcon from the Mark Allen Group. A single visitor registration to Smart Manufacturing and Engineering Week 2024 provides access to these co-located expos.