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MOTORINDIA
l
June 2012
Automatica 2012
sets fresh record
by attracting 31,000 trade visitors
Automatica 2012, the world’s largest show on the
automation industry organised by Messe München
GmbH at New Munich Trade Fair Centre during May
22-25, set a fresh record by attracting 31,000 trade visi-
tors from more than 100 countries and by proving the
world’s meeting point for global leaders of robotics and
automation-related industries.
The event this time covered five trade fair halls com-
pared to four halls at the previous show held in 2010. Al-
most all the prominent players in the automation sector,
including FANUC, KUKA, Yaskawa Motoman, ABB,
Adept, Festo, ISRA Vision, Reis Robotics, SCHUNK,
Baumuller, Epson, Comau, Denso and Stäubli, made a
fine display of their new technologies and innovations.
On May 23, at the IFR CEO Roundtable, the industry
captains deliberated on the problems and prospects of the
robotics industry. Almost every speaker agreed that the
automotive sector is one of the major beneficiaries and
the key driver of robotics growth. Why, the world’s first
robot was installed in General Motors of the US in 1961.
In an exclusive interview to the
MOTORINDIA
Man-
aging Editor, Mr. R. Natarajan, who specially invited to
cover the show, Mr. Norbert Bargmann, Deputy CEO,
Messe München, said the exhibitors at Automatica 2012
were quite happy with the quality of visitors and the en-
quiries received during the event. This year, apart from
the white-collared decision-making business executives,
many blue-collared technically qualified representatives
from different companies also visited the show, creating
a new profile of visitors.
It is learnt that for the first time Messe München In-
ternational (MMI) is jointly organising an automation
fair outside Germany. This clearly confirms the role and
importance of India’s growing manufacturing activities.
One-third of the visitors at Automatica 2012 came from
foreign countries, the highest number of them from Ger-
many, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland,
Turkey, France, Poland and the Russian Federation. That
the global reach of the fair was beyond all expectations
has very well been confirmed by the strong participation
from the Russian Federation, Turkey, Poland, Brazil, the
By R. Natarajan, Managing Editor & Publisher
Mr. Norbert Bargmann, Dy. CEO, Messe Munchen, giving a
thumbs-up to Automatica 2012
Mr. Bargmann spoke on the growing importance
of the automation platform for Europe and an-
nounced the proposal to hold the new India Auto-
mation Technology Fair (IATF) at the Bombay Exhi-
bition Centre (BEC) in Mumbai from February 1 to
3, 2013, the main goal being to make it a leading
trade fair for the automation industry in India.