The Duet of IAS and MWCS 2018 to Promote the High-quality Development of Manufacturing

2018-9-23

As two themed shows of the 20th China International Industry Fair (CIIF), Industrial Automation Show 2018 (IAS) and Metal Working and CNC Machine Tool Show 2018 (MWCS) rounded off at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai) on 23 September. “At a time of the 40th anniversary of China’s Reform and Opening-up as well as the 20^th edition of CIIF, IAS and MWCS this year ended with much success in terms of the exhibitor participation, exhibit quality and visitor feedback. ” said the organizer Gary Liu, Managing Director of Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd.

IAS 2018 and MWCS 2018 totally accommodated over 1,300 exhibitors from home and abroad, with a display area of 150,000 square meters on halls of 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2 and N of the fairground. The five-day events attracted 174,000 trade visits from the globe with an increase of 3.6% over the last year.  

At present, the domestic manufacturing industry is stepping up its independent innovation, accelerating the pace in making breakthroughs in core technology, promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, and further deepening the opening up and cooperation in industrial field. Organized by Deutsche Messe AG and Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd., two industrial shows have become an important stage for the display of modern industry at home and abroad, as well as an important driver for the high-end manufacturing industry to support the core value of CIIF and improve its functions.

Gary Liu noted since Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai became an organizer of CIIF in 2006, it has been committed to introducing the world-leading manufacturing technology and Germany Industrie 4.0 to the exhibition. The two major events comprehensively showcased the latest intelligent solutions and technological achievements made in the automation and machine tool industries, providing a high-level commercial platform of connections for exhibitors and visitors to experience the international cutting-edge manufacturing and in-depth exchanges of industry trends.

IAS -- most reflecting the direction of advanced manufacturing, was expanded again with Hall 6.2 to meet the growing demand for exhibitors. As the largest and most influential industry automation exhibition in Asia, IAS this year specializes in the six sectors of embedded technology, movement control systems, intelligent sensing and connection, pneumatics, smart factory construction and upgrade, and transmission. In the 70,000 square meters of exhibition area, there were nearly 700 famous manufacturers including Advantech, Misumi, Omron, Delta, Invt, Inovance, Pilz, Weidmüller, Eplan, ELCO, Rittal, Balluff, Hiwin, Desoutter, Servotronix Motion Control, Sick, Lenze, CHELIC, IMI NORGREN, AirTAC, Hongfa, EURA DRIVES, Dinkle and SwitchLab. Among them, such industry giants as Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Bosch Rexroth, Phoenix, Festo, Beckhoff, Turck, Wago, KEYENCE, SMC, IFM and Pepperl + Fuchs expanded their booths, brought cutting-edge products, technologies and onsite presentation to jointly created an annual industry automation feast in Asia.

As mentioned by Gary Liu, the focus of economic development in the 13th Five-Year Plan is on realization of the transformation of economic growth mode. As advanced manufacturing is the direction of transformation for traditional manufacturing, the development of high-tech industries such as electronic information, bioengineering, new energy and new materials will open up new demands for precision, efficient and special CNC machine tools. After decades of development, the CNC machine tool industry of China has already had a foundation for transformation and huge potential for development. It is just like the market potential presented by the MWCS 2018.

This year’s MWCS especially added with “1H Sheet-metal Hall”, which together with “2H Sheet-metal International Hall”, “3H Metal Cutting Technology and Parts Hall” and “NH Sheet-metal Hall”, attracted some 600 domestic and international top enterprises including Trumpf, Amada, Salvagnini, Bystronic, Prima Power, Mitsubishi, Mazak, Muratec, BLM, Han's Laser, LEAD, HG Laser, Chutian Laser, Yangli, Yawei, JFY, Accurpress, ARKU, Wila, nLight, Messer, Schröder, LVD and Smart Prima. These exhibitors comprehensively display a range of processes, including laser cut welding, stamping, shear plate, bending, robot, flexible production line, 3Dprinting, laser generator, die, measurement testing and surface treatment in respect of metal plate, laser and cold processing forming. 

According to the 2018-2023 Report on Chinese CNC Machine Tool Industry’s Market Demand Forecast and Analysis of Investment Strategic Planning published by Prospect Industrial Research Institute, China’s CNC machine tools will remain a growth rate of 10-12% in 2018-2023 due to technological development, gradual recovery of the downstream market and other factors. By 2023, the market size of China’s CNC machine tool industry will exceed RMB500 billion yuan. Gary Liu added that MWCS would always capture the development trend of related industries and the platform of technical exchanges and industrial cooperation built by it will also open up a shortcut for China’s high-end machine tools to accelerate the pace of going global.

In parallel with two shows, 35 summits and technical exchange activities were organized and 112 buyer groups from user industries such as engineering machinery, agricultural machinery, packaging machinery, animal husbandry machinery, automobile panels, chassis and cabinets, aerospace, rail transit, pipeline and air conditioning, elevator equipment, and electronic products were invited. According to the organizer, the next edition will be held at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai) in September 2019.