Digital automation to major at November’s CIM 2002 show

Profibus Group, the non-profit organisation which has for years fostered the development of digital factory and process plant equipment communications (fieldbus), is to sponsor the CIM (Computers ion Manufacturing) ‘Automate-IT’ area at the massive combined TEAM (Total Engineering and Manufacturing Event, 12—14 November, NEC, Birmingham) show this year. TEAM will be a full end-to-end manufacturing event, featuring nine shows including Factory Automation, the Design Engineering Show, and Drives Motors Controls, as well as CIM. The exhibition is setting out to showcase just about all the current automation IT, software, systems and services available to help UK manufacturing perform and produce better and more efficiently, according to organiser Penton Media. Automate-IT at CIM will focus on how UK manufacturing can benefit from modern digitally linked automation and end to end messaging for every size and type of organisation. There will be an exhibition and a free conference on the show floor highlighting the technical and strategic issues facing manufacturers. It’s not a new message – cutting costs and pushing productivity is as old as manufacturing business itself. But it’s important for all that, and with the Profibus organisation behind the event, a visit should prove useful. As Penton director Charlie Salter, says: “It’s the logical link between shop floor and boardroom. And we’ve dedicated an entire area of CIM to it – so that automation suppliers can collectively present their case to industry.’ Bob Squirrell, chairman of Profibus UK, says: “Our industry needs an event where all automation solutions are showcased. Whether as vendors or associations, we are all chasing the same ambition: to convince UK industry to invest more in automation so that they can derive exponential benefits.”