SMC Corporation has confirmed it will exhibit at next year’s inaugural APPEX exhibition (previously known as AUSPACK), taking place at the Melbourne Convention Centre from 12 to 15 March 2024.
“2022 was a successful year for SMC at the show,” said Simon McDonald, managing director for SMC Corporation ANZ. “Next year, we are looking to further capitalise on the momentum and extended reach of this world-class exhibition. The show brings together leaders in industry and is the ideal opportunity to connect with customers and industry peers alike.”
Since the last show, SMC Corporation says it has continued to expand its product and service offering, with McDonald saying that what sets SMC apart is its ability to go beyond pneumatics.
“While our roots remain firmly entrenched in pneumatics, we continue to identify and address our customers’ needs through a broad range of best-in-class automation solutions. SMC are committed to continued investment in our people to provide personalised service and solutions to our customers. Be it automation control, wireless technologies, energy saving or safety components our team is on-hand to provide expertise and add value in the long run.”
Adding to this, he said, “Automation is today viewed as a cost saver and problem solver in businesses, with the decision to automate coming from the top. SMC is always looking to develop new and greener solutions with CO2 reduction as a top priority for us, as we prioritise compact and lightweight products that contribute to energy savings and CO2 reduction during usage.”
SMC says APPEX is the ideal platform to showcase its latest technologies, under the banner of ‘more than pneumatics’. “With more than 12,000 basic products on offer, we have hand-picked six product categories for APPEX, each with their own unique set of benefits to the industry. Having a clear understanding of the processing and packaging sectors’ needs and being able to deliver is ultimately what customers are looking for in today’s competitive marketplace.”
What’s on show?
According to Macdonald, “the role of wireless technologies continues to evolve,” and he says that SMC’s wireless technologies underpins this statement. The EXW1 was designed in response to the ever-growing need for reliable, wireless communication technologies on the factory floor. The system claims to allow factories to achieve consistent, noise-free communication. Data is encrypted and is quick to connect and modify. This flexibility offers a host of benefits including fewer cables, less maintenance, breakage, and disconnection issues on the factory floor.
The AMS series is designed to reduce CO2 emissions and, according to SMC, can cut energy consumption by as much as 62 per cent. Three key benefits include visualisation, CO2 emission reductions and scalability. Cylinder range SMC has noted an uptick in demand for pneumatic cylinders from the red meat processing sector. SMC’s hygienic design cylinder range is water resistant and compliant with HACCP, PRP and other rigorous standards of the industry, while its stainless-steel compact guide cylinder provides a reduced risk of line contamination.
SMC will use APPEX as an opportunity to showcase its range of air-dryers and main line filters. Its range of air preparation products offer air quality meeting class ISO 8573 standard. Supporting a host of benefits to the food and beverage industries, including reduced power consumption, an energy saving design, reduced exhaust heat and tolerance in high temperature environments.
“SMC’s new VBA booster regulator series can increase factory air pressure by four times,” said McDonald. The energy saving design reportedly promotes a reduction in air consumption by 30 per cent whilst affectively increasing air-flow by 30 per cent. SMC says the range requires no power supply and is easily installed whilst requiring less maintenance thanks to the long service life of 50 million or more cycles. “This series boasts big benefits that aren’t yet commonly known by our customer base. With this booster regulator, customers can significantly increase their factory air pressure without the need for additional power – again adding to a healthier bottom-line.”
SMC offers a wide range of electric actuator variations for use in transferring, lifting, pushing, gripping, and rotating applications, with motor controllers compatible for EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, DeviceNet, IO-Link, and CC-Link, and with STO sub-function (JXC-F). The new e-Actuator with integrated controller is easy to use and delivers the benefits of space-saving, wiring-saving and labour-saving. “We look forward to APPEX in 2024. It brings us closer to our customers and is the perfect platform to showcase SMC’s evolution over the years” McDonald concluded.
