June 29, 2012 - The latest event produced by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) provides evidence that U.S. manufacturing is strong, especially in the growth areas of aerospace, defense (including arms), medical and energy manufacturing. Mfg4 – Manufacturing 4 the Future – attracted registrants from 42 states and more than a dozen countries seeking to share integrated solutions to common manufacturing challenges.
“The majority of attendees came from New England, home to many of these diverse industries. They told us they found the collaboration Mfg4 provided extremely valuable,” said Debbie Holton, SME director of events and industry strategy.
Mfg4 2012 took place in Hartford, May 8-10, a convenient commuting location for many of the four industries showcased at the exposition and conference. Attendees were exposed to technologies and applications from nearly 300 exhibitors, including more than 180 new products. Exhibited technologies included lean manufacturing, CNC controls, automated manufacturing and assembly, 3D imaging, cutting tools, micromanufacturing and nanotechnology.
“It gave me an opportunity to see new manufacturing technology and meet local suppliers. I actually solved two nagging design issues on my current project while I was at the show,” said Brian Cigal, design engineer, Pratt and Whitney.
SME convened professionals from leading manufacturers in aerospace, defense, medical and energy to produce Mfg4 as a forum for cross-industry collaboration. Advisors included professionals from Accellent, Inc.; American Wind Energy Association (AWEA); Biomedical Engineering Alliance and Consortium (BEACON); Boeing Company; Bombardier Aerospace; Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT); CONNSTEP; General Electric Energy; Micro Engineering; Pratt & Whitney; Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems; Remmele Medical, and Sikorsky Aircraft.
More than 800 attendees attended the conference, keynote and Learning Lounge sessions, which provided opportunities for attendees to meet face-to-face with suppliers for demonstrations and presentations. Keynote speakers included Neal Orringer, director of manufacturing, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy; Jim Adams, deputy chief technologist, NASA; Frank Wolak, vice president, FuelCell Energy, Inc.; Gary S. Falwell, technical business development leader, Accellent; and Michael Molnar, chief manufacturing officer, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
“The sessions aren’t sales pitches, they are presentations by people who go into detail with human interest. The group presentations are small and you can approach people afterward to get into more detail and to meet people with similar interests. That’s what I like most about it – developing relationships,” said Mark Manzoni, project engineer/technical sales, Harbec Plastics Inc.
Mfg4 returns to the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford May 6-8, 2014. For more information about attending, exhibiting, or presenting at Mfg4, or to see video highlights from 2012, visit mfg4event.com or call 800.733.3976. For the most up-to-date details, follow us on Twitter @mfg4event.
Mfg4 will alternate years with EASTEC, which has been at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass., since 1988, and returns there May 14-16, 2013. SME produces EASTEC and Mfg4 to inform east coast manufacturers on technologies, management strategies and new applications necessary to maintain their competitiveness in the global marketplace.
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About SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its many programs, events, magazines, publications and online training division, Tooling U, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technologies and to the most up-to-date manufacturing processes. SME has members around the world and is supported by a network of chapters and technical communities. A 501(c)3 organization, SME is a leader in manufacturing workforce development issues, working with industry, academic and government partners to support the current and future skilled workforce.
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