Where do manufacturing industry leaders and engineers go to meet, collaborate and learn? HANNOVER MESSE, billed as the world’s leading industrial technology trade fair, is the place to see and be seen. The show last month tallied a record 225,000 attendees from more than 70 countries, including 3,000 from the United States, and United Global Sourcing was there.
This year’s theme was “integrated industry – creating value,” which fair organizers said, “put a major spotlight on the benefits of Industrie 4.0 and the role of humans in tomorrow’s integrated factories.” Visitors to the fair’s 22 buildings witnessed the latest developments in collaborative robots (aka cobots), energy storage technology and Industry 4.0 with the emergence of “smart” factories. We’d like to share our main observations.
Making Connections, Discovering Needs
Brian Ishmael and the UGS team welcomed visitors to the UGS exhibit booth and fielded questions on topics ranging from general supply chain management to ensuring the highest quality in precision-forged parts. As one of the few U.S.-based companies supporting forging and casting products at this year’s fair, UGS had a tremendous opportunity to connect with manufacturers and potential clients. And there were a lot of connections to be made; the show encompassed 22 buildings covering approximately three square miles.
Interacting with trade show attendees gives exhibitors insight into changing customer needs. For example, UGS saw first-hand that supply chain management has a growing role to play in the renewable energy industry. The U.S. government’s current Production Tax Credit program, enacted in 1992, will be phased out by 2020. This reduces the tax credits funneled to companies that sell wind power, which could make wind energy equipment and technology a less desirable investment. Fewer investment dollars and a decrease in tax credits means manufacturers of wind turbines and related equipment must find ways to lower costs and boost productivity. At HANNOVER MESSE, it was obvious that these companies are finding value in global sourcing companies (like UGS) that offer vetted suppliers, quality control monitoring and supply chain management expertise.
Where to Next?
UGS will be attending the PLASTEC East show in New York City on June 13–15. Brian will be exploring the latest technological advances in 3-D printing, injection molding, extrusion and packaging. Whether you’re looking for a new supplier, facing quality control issues, or just need to get up to speed on plastics in manufacturing, PLASTEC is the place to start. This year’s speakers include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak as well as expert-led education sessions on smart manufacturing, 3-D printing and medical manufacturing innovations.
After PLASTEC, we’ll be hitting FABTECH November 6–9 in Chicago. If you’re attending, stop by the UGS exhibit to talk about forging, casting, metal forming and more. This important show is the best venue in North America to see new developments in metal forming, fabrication, welding and finishing, all in one place. There’s also an educational program with industry experts on topics that include lean manufacturing, lasers, metal stamping and workforce development, to name just a few.
Even if you can’t make it to these upcoming trade shows, UGS wants to hear your questions about suppliers, forging, casting, plastic injection molding or their other services. Get a quote or contact UGS online anytime with questions about your project.