Modern Manufacturing Expo, which took place in Sydney last week, elicited strong government support and was backed by a comprehensive education program exploring the opportunities inherent in the adoption of modern manufacturing practices.
At the start of the exhibition, Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic delivered a crucial message to manufacturers: Australia needs to ramp up production to create stable, full-time jobs. The minister also addressed the National Robotics and Automation Strategy, urging the manufacturing community to have confidence in their innovative ideas and capabilities.
Minister Husic reiterated the government's dedication to the sector and its allocation of resources through the National Reconstruction Fund and Industry Growth Program.
It was clear from discussions across the two days that the uptake of artificial intelligence is already transforming the industry, altering job responsibilities and processes on the shop floor.
According to Marie Kinsella, CEO of the International Exhibition & Conference (IEC) Group and organiser or the event, “the integration of AI with manufacturing software by major companies is comparable to a tidal wave, greatly improving their capabilities”.
She added that the integration of AI with this year's focus on “Connected, Automated & Digital Transformation” offers an avenue to access a greater amount of intelligent data. This can greatly aid manufacturers in operating with increased efficiency and effectiveness.
“Visitors and exhibitors alike gave us overwhelmingly positive feedback. Our attendance numbers also saw an increase from last year's expo. In fact, we have already secured the dates in September 2024 for our next event,” concludes Kinsella.
Partnering with the event, the Australian Packaging & Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) had a stand, which also hosted two member companies, ABB and Open IIoT. Other members exhibiting included IFM, Mitsubishi Electric and Robatech.
APPMA CEO Michael Moran said this was an ideal opportunity to connect with the wider manufacturing sector and educate all stakeholders, from government to industry participants, on the transformation of AUSPACK into APPEX.
What the show succeeded in doing was to deliver a knowledge hub with information on the latest in smart manufacturing.
The Expert Arena offered brief yet engaging sessions where attendees could gather insights on cutting-edge technology, research findings, and real-world case studies
At the Smart Manufacturing Conference, various industry experts delved into hot button topics, including Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, and smart factories. One particularly intriguing session was the Packaging 4.0 panel discussion, in which speakers Simon Hill, of TNA Solutions; Shad Kaberna of Robotic Automation; Richard Roberts of Argus; and Greg Calvert of Fresh Chain Systems, explored the rise of automation and digitalisation in the packaging world.
Of particular interest were the insights delivered by Richard Roberts, national Industry 4.0 operations manager and senior consultant at Argus, a member of the Open IIoT Group, on how cloud deployment ensures production line traceability in a PET plastic bottle recycling facility,
Roberts cited a case study from Circular Plastics Australia (the newly on-stream PET recycling JV between Pact Group, Cleanaway, Asahi and CCEP). He explained that to ensure that the recycled products are safe for consumers and meet the stringent standards set by corporates and lawmakers, an effective Industry 4.0 solution needed to be implemented across the plant’s production line for monitoring and traceability purposes.
This requirement resulted in Circular Plastics Australia contracting Argus to deploy their redundant, clustered cloud-connected solution known as Symbiont to connect all plant systems from infeed to output. This includes the weight of material entering the facility, tracked throughout the process to output of the final product.
Roberts touched on how this solution was rolled out to the various divisions and applications, as a true example of Industry 4.0 implementation and the overall benefits it provided to the customer.
