Automation UK ‘on the march’ in one week’s time

The countdown is underway for Automation UK, the UK’s leading show dedicated to automation and robotics. The first Automation UK in 2023 was a huge success, and this year’s event is anticipated to have even more visitors, all of whom will make it a vibrant atmosphere at Coventry’s CBS Arena between 18 and 19 June.

Automation UK is the event where technology meets innovation on a grand scale. It is a destination for anyone looking to upgrade their solutions, enhance their business and be inspired by key industry innovators.

Automation UK was created by the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) to highlight the importance of robotics and systems integration to the future growth of the UK economy. BARA and the UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA) are part of Automate UK, and these three trade associations are keen to champion the use and development of automation and robots in the UK industries.

This year’s show provide visitors with the opportunity to see and experience the latest cutting-edge products, services and technologies. According to the organiser, the show offers something for everyone, from ‘state of the art’ automation and robotics solutions and hours of free inspiring seminars to great face-to-face networking. In addition, visitors will have an opportunity to visit the co-located Machine Vision Conference, organised by UKIVA, to immerse themselves into captivating machine vision technologies.

The exhibition will highlight a variety of robots, robotic systems, automation control parts and systems, machine safety and systems integration, all of which will be showcased by over 50 world-class exhibitors. These solutions will be attractive to stakeholders from a wide range of industries including food and drink, oil, gas and nuclear, aerospace, maritime, manufacturing and automotive.

Spoilt for choice
Some of the founding exhibitors include ABB, Fanuc UK, Festo, Piab, KUKA Robotics UK, Schubert UK, and RARUK Automation. The exhibitors will address visitors’ automation and robotics purchasing needs under one roof. They will be spoilt for choice with over 70 products available, including belt style linear actuators, robots, magic grippers and X-rail.

BARA is also unveiling an additional attraction at this year’s event. The ifm truck will be making a guest appearance at Automation UK, packed with lots of interesting innovations. This offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to discover and explore more about ifm’s portfolio of products, such as smart sensors, HMIs, controllers, IO-Link technology and Moneo software solutions. The ifm team will be available to guide visitors through and provide hands-on demonstrations of its latest solutions.

Another stand-out feature at this year’s show will be ABB’s YuMi artist. This innovative robot is able to create a person’s portrait in just 5min — those interested in having a unique portrait of themselves should head to Stand B32.

Not only will visitors have all the latest products at their fingertips, but they will also have access to a number of discussions, which will seed thoughts on how they can put their learnings into practice.

Keynote speakers
This year’s keynote speakers are Vanessa Loiola, the founder of Valoy Automation, and Rockwell Automation’s Mike Loughran. Vanessa’s talk will focus on enhancing robotic cell performance with strategic programming solutions. Mike will explain how companies can quickly and easily deploy emerging technologies to support their ‘smart’ manufacturing goals.

There will be hours of free learning opportunities throughout the two-day show, delivered by well-known industry experts. The guest speakers include: Adrian Howe from Mobile Industrial Robots; Neal Mead from KUKA Robotics; Duncan Russell from Ocado Technology; Gilbert Tang from Cranfield University; Barry Weller from Mitsubishi Electric; and Julian Ware from ABB Robotics UK & Ireland.

The seminar programme includes UK Automation Forum’s live panel discussion on bridging the skills gap within the UK manufacturing industry. Participants will discuss the impact that skills shortages are having on business, including their ability to adopt new technologies, automation and robotics.

Automate UK COO Scott McKenna concluded: “Automation UK is an event dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements in the automation and robotics industry. It serves as a platform to connect decision-makers who are focused on enhancing business efficiency, productivity, and cost reduction. The show offers them the opportunity to learn how innovative automation and robotics solutions can be integrated to streamline processes while also reducing costs.”