From Smart Motors to AI-Driven Production – the future of industry
The July First Friday Press Club briefing welcomed members of the industrial and technology press to discuss the next phase of industrial efficiency.
The event was organised by Cadence Industrial & Technical Communications and examined how manufacturers can unlock greater productivity, resilience and sustainability through advances in motor technology, automation, and AI-powered machine vision. It featured experts from across the industrial supply chain:
- Thomas Marks, Director General of the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT)
- Dan Griffiths, Operations Manager & Product Manager Low Voltage Automation at WEG
Thomas Marks opened the event by exploring whether industry is focusing on the right measures of efficiency, drawing on insights from AEMT’s membership of manufacturers, distributors and repair specialists. This gave an important reminder that new assets are not always more sustainable than providing proper maintenance and repair to existing ones.
Dan Griffiths showcased WEG’s new W22 Prime motor platform, highlighting how it delivers IE4 and IE5 efficiency while maintaining the robustness and compatibility expected from standard industrial motors.
Steve Schiller and Jim Cooper demonstrated the IDEC Group’s all-in-one FT series, which integrates a (programmable logic controller) PLC and human-machine interface (HMI). They explained how integrated control and visualisation is making advanced automation more accessible on smaller machines.
Vince McGurk and Peter Tilley discussed Rubix’s acquisition of ERIKS UK & Ireland and what the expanded business means for customers, suppliers and the wider manufacturing sector. They demonstrated how industrial distribution is more and more focussed on extended service relationships rather than simple product supply.
OMRON’s Neil Harvey and Stuart Coulton concluded the session with a hands-on demo showing how AI-powered vision systems and advanced code reading are transforming inspection, traceability and quality assurance. In turn, manufacturers can deploy advanced vision technology quickly and without specialist expertise.
With next month being August, many editors, spokespeople and marketers are on leave, so the club is taking a break and is now taking bookings for September.
