Manufacturers gain insight into Smart Machines

Smart Machines for the Future –  hosted at PP Control & Automation’s 5,500 sqm facility in the West Midlands – offered a day of insights on Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Virtual Reality.

Delegates representing companies the likes of Mazak, Winbro, Inca Digital, ASMPT DEK and GKN Wheels and Structures also experienced a first-hand demonstration of collaborative robots from Comau and the increasing role ‘cobots’ can play in securing greater process efficiencies.

PP Control & Automation’s John Armstrong explained: “There has been a lot of talk about Smart Factories, but very few people actually fully understand the concept, and more importantly, what it will involve for manufacturers in all parts of the supply chain.”

Armstrong noted that as OEMs, several delegates confirmed that they are being driven by customers to provide not only highly automated, but smart machines; equipment capable of improving a business’ productivity and agility.

David Evans, operations manager (UK) for Heller Machine Tools, commented: “[Smart machines is] a very topical issue to address and certainly gave me a deeper insight into how Industry 4.0 and its different facets could have a positive impact on what we do as a CNC machine tool manufacturer.

PP Control & Automation, which is a member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), has become one of the world’s largest and most respected suppliers of electrical control systems, cable harnesses and sub-contract manufacturing solutions.

It has recently completed a £1m extension to its advanced manufacturing plant, creating an additional 1000 sqm of production space to facilitate growth in new technology markets and satisfy interest from a wider international customer base.