Automate has become the largest event for showcasing the latest automation solutions. These include robotics, sensors, vision systems, motion control components — including fluid power- and electronic-based technologies — artificial intelligence and more.
The 2024 looks to be one of the largest editions yet with over 800 exhibitors anticipated and a 25% larger footprint than the 2023 show which broke the record for being the biggest in the show's history. Due to the success of Automate 2023 and demand from the industry for more frequent events, it was announced the show would move to an annual cadence.
In addition, the 2024 event will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago which will provide the extra space required of this ever-expanding show.
Automate 2024, held May 6-9, encompasses a large exhibition space as well as 200 speakers who will present on various topics related to automation, including several technical education courses. This year's event will include the show's first Women's Empowerment Forum with a keynote address by MIT Professor Daniela Rus as well as a panel discussion with female executives in the automation industry.
"The Women’s Empowerment Forum, combined with our featured keynotes, not only recognizes these incredible female leaders who are driving change, but also helps to strengthen awareness of the critical need for women in the industry," said Deb Kling, vice president of marketing for A3 (Association for Advancing Automation) which hosts Automate.
There will be a number of things to look forward to at Automate 2024, including new technology introductions and a startup challenge for companies who want to pitch their solutions to a panel of judges for a chance to win $10,000. A3 will also be celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout the show. Following are some of the highlights anticipated at this year's event.
NFPA Presenting Digital Fluid Power Panel Discussion
The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) will host a panel discussion entitled "Digital Fluid Power - Advances & Controls in Hydraulics & Pneumatics" at Automate 2024. It will be held as part of the Automate conferenc program and is scheduled to take place Wednesday, May 8 at 8:00 a.m. Central.
Per NFPA, three panelists will offer their insights into the latest fluid power technologies and how they interconnect with the digital industrial transformation taking place in the automation sector. The panelists will share how digitization and automation are being used with hydraulic and pneumatic technologies to bring about new performance capabilities in industrial machinery.
Panelists include:
- Chris Harwood – Sun Hydraulics
- Adam Livesay – Elevāt
- Dan Barrera – Bosch Rexroth
NFPA said in its announcement of the panel discussion that it is encouraging members to attend the show as the automation sector is a key customer market for fluid power. Automation was also noted as a technological area of focus for hydraulics and pneumatics in the association's 2023 Technology Roadmap. As such, the association is making efforts to expand educational opportunities and resources related to this and other R&D focus areas outlined in the roadmap.
Bosch Rexroth Showcasing Factory Automation Technologies
Bosch Rexroth plans to highlight its wide range of technologies which can be used to implement automation in a range of manufacturing operations. These include digital engineering tools as well as support for planning and installation.
The company will also provide demonstrations of many of its automation solutions during Automate 2024. Among these will be a demo of the Flexible Transport System (FTS) with an integrated Kassow collaborative robot. The FTS is designed to provide a fast, precise and flexible conveyor system to help move product through a facility. It is driven by Bosch Rexroth linear motion technology which enables high-speed positioning of products while enabling bi-directional, synchronous, or asynchronous moves.
Additional demos will include:
- ctrlX AUTOMATION – the demo will feature a three-axis ctrlX DRIVE linked to a ctrlX CORE industrial PC running in real-time as well as other components that can be used as part of this automation ecosystem.
- Smart Conveyance Demo – this demo will include Bosch Rexroth's aluminum structural framing and TS2 plus palletized assembly conveyor for assembly solutions. Compact modules use three linear axes to form a Cartesian robot, automating assembly with the company's linear motion components.
- NEXO annd OPEX tightening systems – the new NEXO nutrunner and OPEX digital torque wrench are designed to seamlessly integrate into conveying systems, aluminum framing workstations, and more while incorporating complete control directly inside the device, providing a sleek, cordless aesthetic.
ITT Brands Exhibiting Motion Control Components
ITT Inc.'s Enidine and Compact Automation brands plan to exhibit their various motion control components at Automate 2024. According to the company, the technologies on display are designed for durability and reliability to help reduce downtime and the amount of maintenance required for automation systems.
Enidine will exhibit products for energy absorption, vibration isolation and noise attenuation problems, all of which help to prevent wear and tear while also improving the working enviroment for machine operators. These include:
- Platinum Extended Range (PXR) Series: This newly expanded line of small bore non-adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers is engineered to absorb maximum energy conditions from a wide range of industrial applications.
- Corrosion Resistant Shocks (CRS) Series: These eco-friendly, stainless steel small bore adjustable and non-adjustable industrial shock absorbers are highly durable for harsh-environment industrial and wash down applications.
- Heavy-Duty (HD/HDN) Series: The HD/HDN Series of heavy-duty shock absorbers are designed to protect both people and equipment from large impacts, while also increasing operating lifespan.
- Wire Rope and Compact Wire Rope Isolators: Enidine’s all-metal and environmentally stable wire rope isolation solutions offer versatile vibration damping up to 100,000 lbs.
Compact Automation will show its actuation and cylinder products designed to provide precise and reliable positioning for various automation tasks:
- Round Line (RL) Cylinders: Round Line Stainless Steel Cylinders are durable and configurable to meet exact motion control needs and reduces the need for equipment maintenance.
- Rotary Actuators: Turn-Act Rotary Actuators deliver zero backlash, no loss of motion, and smooth rotation throughout an extended product lifecycle.
- Inch Cylinders: The highly customizable Inch Cylinder line is space efficient and designed for easy, fast, and affordable repair. Products can be overhauled in the field in a matter of minutes using cylinder repair kits, resulting in low cost of ownership.
- NIASA Electric Actuators: Developed in partnership with NIASA, Compact’s electromechanical actuators deliver precise and safe linear movement, regardless of speed.
READ MORE: Automation to Drive Growth for Linear Actuator Market
Cincoze Displaying AI Edge Computing Products
Cincoze, a developer of rugged embedded computer solutions, intends to show a range of products related to the theme "Comprehensive AI Edge Computing Solutions." Among the technologies on display will be the company's rugged embedded omputers, industrial panel PCs and monitors, embedded GPU computers as well as several new products.
The GOLD line of GPU computers, for instance, are designed to provide the computing necessary for evolving artificial intelligence (AI) technologies as well as machine learning (ML) and AIoT — the Artificial Intelligence of Things which combines AI and internet of things (IoT) to improve human-machine interactions and data collection and analysis.
Within this line is the GM-1000, a high-performance computer suited for machine vision applications. The GM-3100 series which will also be on display can perform sophisticated and complex visual inspection or autonomous driving, benefitting various robotics applications.
The company said a highlight of its new products section will be its new Machine Computing - DIN RAIL PC line tailored for use in control cabinets for smart manufacturing applications. It provides a high level of processing performance as well as the ability to add I/O, storage and more to meet specific application needs.
Stäubli to Demo Range of Robotics Technologies
Stäubli Robotics plans to exhibit and demonstrate its range of robotic solutions, including its four- and six-axis industrial robots, mobile robots and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
Among its demonstrations will be a new electronics demo cell featuring a TS2-60 ESD robot showing automatic screwing and connecting of electrical connectors for electronic boards. The company's ESD robots are designed for the electronics industry, offering safe handling of sensitive components and the ability to operate in electrostatic protected areas (EPAs).
Another demo will show how the company's TS2-60 SCARA robot can be used in battery stacking processes.
Robots for use in sensitive environments, such as those for the food industry, will also be on display to demonstrate their capabilities in wet and humid environments (HE). The HE version of the TX2-200 six-axis robot will be launched to the North American Market at Automate. Its load capacity of 170 kg and 2.2 mm reach aids handling of heavier items in sensitive working environments.
Stäubli will also show its various services for robotics such as its portal for preventative maintenance. In addition, the company's fluid connectors division will be part of the exhibit showcasing its flexible tool changing systems and Multi Coupling System (MCS), which enables quick, safe, simultaneous connection of disparate energy sources.
READ MORE: Rapid Growth Ahead for Mobile Robot Components Market
Awards Programs Honor Innovations in Automation Technology and Robotics
A3 will be presenting awards for innovations in automation and robotics during Automate 2024.
The annual Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award honors robotics leaders from around the world who excel in technology development, application, education and leadership. Per A3, the award is named after the man who is credited with being the founding force behind industrial robotics.
Winners of the 2024 award are:
- Dr. Reymond Clavel, Professor Emeritus at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, who was selected as a technology winner for his pioneering role in the invention of the Delta robot concept.
- Marc-Olivier Demaurex, who was selected as a technology winner for his role in pioneering the Delta robot and bringing it to market.
- Joe Gemma, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Wauseon Machine, who was selected as the winner for leadership, recognizing more than 35 years in the automation industry, including past stints on the Robotics Industries Association (RIA), now A3, board of directors and the president and board member of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The winners are recommended by a panel of industry leaders based on all present and past nominations from the industry and voted upon by the past chairs of the RIA. An awards dinner will be held at Automate during which the winners will be honored.
New in 2024 is the Automate Innovation Awards, a competition designed to recognize and celebrate groundbreaking automation solutions introduced to the market over the past 12 months.
Five finalists in three categories — hardware, software and systems — were selected by a panel of judges from the automation industry and narrowed down to three winners, one from each category.
The three winners have been selected for their innovative and unique designs as well as their ability to offer benefits such as reduced costs and improved efficiencies. The winners will be honored during a ceremony at Automate:
- Hardware: The Embedded+ Architecture from AMD is the first architecture of its kind to combine the AMD x86 processor with integrated graphics and programmable hardware for critical AI inferencing and sensor fusion applications. This architecture simplifies and accelerates design to help bring optimized automated technology and products to market faster.
- Software: PrintStator is an advanced electric motor computer-aided design platform developed by Boston-based startup ECM to enable the design, optimization and manufacture of electric motors across multiple use cases while also factoring in global technology and regulatory trends. Motors designed using PrintStator incorporate ECM’s PCB Stator technology. They are 70% lighter than conventional options, use 80% less raw materials to produce, are up to 30 dB quieter and achieve efficiencies in excess of 90%.
- Systems: SCAN&GRIND from GrayMatter Robotics provides a solution to meet the efficiency, consistency and adaptability in high-mix manufacturing environments which overcomes the challenges of manual grinding operations. Traditionally, robots have been limited to mass-production grinding due to the economic impracticality of manual programming. The system’s advanced features, including automated programming of the robot based on scanned data, customizable process parameters and automatic target recognition, make it feasible to leverage robotic technology in a wider range of mass- and specialized-production applications.
"Innovation drives the advancement of automation technology for increasing industrial efficiency, improving worker and consumer well-being and achieving greater sustainability," said Clarissa Schwendeman, director of marketing, A3. "By recognizing and rewarding innovations that play a pivotal role in shaping the future of automation, we celebrate the industry pioneers leading us toward a smarter, more efficient and sustainable future."
