Smart Maufacturing Week 2025 Preview April/May 2025 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 11 assets and operations.” said Gary Jones, head of sales at Service Geeni. Building on the theme of operational excellence, Rubix will be at Stand 5-M44, highlighting its industrial spare parts distribution offering as well as its InSite stores management service - where the company takes over the management of the MRO stores allowing manufacturers to focus on what they do best – manufacturing products. Full educational agenda Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 delivers a robust educational programme, carefully crafted in response to extensive research that identified key challenges facing today’s manufacturers and engineers. The seven Solutions Theatres cover a range of topics including Digital Transformation, Industrial Data & AI, IIoT & Connectivity, Design & Innovation, Automation & Robotics, Leadership & Strategy and Maintenance. For readers of Plant & Works Engineering the Maintenance theatre’s programme will be worth scrutinising. One panel format session to look out for is Transforming Maintenance Strategies: From Reactive to Proactive in Smart Manufacturing, which will explore how maintenance practices are evolving in response to digital transformation. Industry experts, including Ruth Rollings, Maintenance Engineering Manager at AETC, will discuss the shift from reactive approaches to predictive and condition-based methods. The session will dive into the ROI, operational benefits, and the technologies driving this transformation. Equally compelling is the headline keynote, Applying New Maintenance Methods and Technologies to Existing Production Systems where Nick Evans, General Manager of Maintenance, Process Improvement & Innovation at BMW (UK), will provide an overview of emerging technologies such as predictive maintenance, AI-powered solutions, and data-driven insights. This session will arm attendees with practical advice on integrating these innovations into existing production systems while minimising downtime and maximising efficiency. Beyond the Solutions Theatres, visitors can also take advantage of IfM masterclasses, offering expert-led insights into key manufacturing challenges, as well as the Technology Showcase Arena, an interactive space where cutting-edge advancements in wearables, robotics, and smart manufacturing will be demonstrated live. Smart connections and good times Smart Manufacturing Week provides ample opportunities for networking, drawing together a diverse mix of people from across the industry to exchange ideas, discuss trends, and form partnerships. For a dose of fun, the popular Guitar Legends competition returns, with a 3D-printed guitar up for grabs for the winner. Plus, the house band The Shadow Monkeys will pop up all around the event and return with their signature high energy and crowd-pleasing hits to close out the first evening’s visitor party. New for 2025 is ‘Smart Tank’, an exciting addition to this year’s schedule where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts. Adding to the excitement, the Robot Fight Fest by Accu will bring thrilling action on day two, delivering adrenaline-fuelled action for tech enthusiasts. Visitors can also catch the FANUC WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics Competition qualifier. Meanwhile, the Best of British Showcase celebrates the finest in UK manufacturing, spotlighting groundbreaking designs, pioneering methods, and export successes. Previous editions have highlighted industry leaders such as ThrustWSH, Airbus, Aston Martin, and others, giving visitors a glimpse into the cutting-edge of British innovation. Smart Manufacturing Week takes place at the NEC Birmingham on the 4-5 of June 2025. Other exhibitions taking place at the NEC at the same time include Automechanika run by Messe Frankfurt; Med-Tech Innovation Expo and TCT 3Sixty from Rapid News Group and Subcon from the Mark Allen Group. One visitor badge provides access to all events. For more information and to register for free visit: www.smartmanufacturingweek.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=