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Robotics get major boost as BARA joins the PPMA

Chris Buxton and Ken Young, President, BARA  shake hands on the deal The growing importance of robotics and automation systems to the global packaging supply chain has led to the amalgamation of the British Automation & Robotics Association with the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association.

The move, which is aimed at strengthening the strong supplier base for the end user community, will provide access to technical support from the PPMA’s membership. The reasons behind the move included the recognition of the role robotics and automation play in an increasingly globalised market, while the associations also share a similar customer base, aspirations and values.

It will also strengthen links with government, industry, financial and academic institutions in promoting the use of robotics and assist in their development.

“Combining the strengths of both parties gives us a real opportunity to address the technical, commercial and environmental challenges faced by industry,” explained Chris Buxton, CEO, PPMA.

Among the benefits offered by robotic systems are greatly improved productivity and the flexibility demanded by customers through the automation of manual tasks, often in less floor space; while a single robot can do the work of multiple machines. Automation and robotics help to create higher output and quality; have hygiene benefits; and are flexible enough to change to the demands of retail customers, said the PPMA.

President of BARA Mike Wilson, who will become the director of automation and robotics, said: “The combination is much more than the sum of the parts. It is particularly important in this current difficult environment that the automation message is spread to as many people in industry as possible.”

BARA will become an integrated sub-group of the PPMA, have its own council of representatives and a director of automation and robotics. The associations believe that the resources of the two associations – people, knowledge and finance - will make a real difference to the promotion of the technical advantages of robotic solutions to the end user community.

www.ppma.co.uk

Exhibitions

February 2010 - Deutsche Messe postpones premiere of industrial tradeshows in Dubai until 2011
Deutsche Messe is postponing the industrial trade fairs CeMAT MIDDLE EAST, Industrial Automation (IA) MIDDLE EAST and Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) MIDDLE EAST – all originally schedu led to take place in February 2010 – until 2011.


March 2010 - Stuttgart, 2nd - 4th March
From 2 to 4 March 2010 LogiMAT, the International Trade Fair for Distribution, Materials Handling and Information Flow, is taking place in Stuttgart accompanied by an extensive fringe programme. It is the eighth edition of this annual meeting point for the intralogistics industry – the largest in Europe.


March 2010 - France, 23rd - 26th
Transport and Logistics services, Supply chain Management, Logistics Infrastructures, Logistics Real Estate, Technologies and Information Systems, Materials Handling and Warehouse equipment…


April 2010 - Cleveland, 26th - 29th
NA 2010 (The 2010 Material Handling & Logistics Show and Conference) will bring together manufacturers, consultants, third party logistics providers, publishers and system integrators to demonstrate their equipment, systems and services to tens of thousands of industry professionals from around the world, seeking productivity solutions.


May 2010 - Barcelona, 25th - 28th
Barcelona, 23 November 2009. As part of its constant desire to improve the service it offers exhibitors and visitors as well as provide a bigger and better service, the International Logistics and Material Handling Exhibition (SIL) has updated its website.


June 2010 - Guangzhou, China, 2nd - 4th
In China, cold chain logistics industry is in its infancy, While cold chain market share on both sides of the Atlantic has already reached 80 - 90%-that in Europe and Russia is 50%, in developing countries in general is 10 - 20%-only 20% of freight moving in China goes refrigerated.


November 2010 - Eindhoven, 10th - 11th
It is with justified pride that Bureau Bosman BV is introducing Groothandel & Logistiek’s new trade show name. From now on, Groothandel & Logistiek will be called: Bedrijf en Logistiek, the trade show for goods-in, storage and goods-out. The eleventh edition will take place on November 10 and 11 in the Exhibition Building in Eindhoven.  


November 2010 - Birmingham, 16th - 19th
Quartz Publishing & Exhibitions Ltd, organiser of the International Materials Handling Exhibition (IMHX), has announced that – in response to exhibitor requests – the show’s dates have moved from March to November next year.


Case Studies

The Armchair Shoppers
Home shopping and multi-channel retailing is an industry where the customer often seems tantalisingly elusive. That’s why, every year since 2000, the UK’s Royal Mail has commissioned the ‘Home Shopping Tracker Study’ to estimate the size of the UK market, both in terms of customers and spend.

Norway’s first gateway
The Norwegian port of Oslo has long been a focal point for the country’s trade, industry and population. Boasting a highly-agile and skilled logistics labour force the Port is on the cusp of a new era with major expansion and improvement.

A heartland pours open
Ideally located at the heart of western Europe, the Moselle Department, in the Lorraine region of France, offers many advantages to companies wishing to have a strategically located distribution platform.

Movement made easy
Elsewhere in the world of material handling expertise the Dutch logistics service provider Partner Logistics Europe B.V. has been busy in West Flanders. The company recently put into operation probably the largest ‘deep freeze chest’ in Belgium.

Forklift manufacturers react to energy crisis
“Thanks to their inherent high build quality Flexis are straightforward to maintain and our distributors are able to make healthy margins on used Flexis that they put back into the market on contract hire with maintenance packages.”

Legislation set to change
Highly automated warehouses make strict demands on personnel safety. Jarno Palo, of safety specialist Gunnebo Troax AB believes that health and safety legislation and European norms, such as the Machinery Directive, have a huge influence in the hub, covering everything from conveyors to cranes and industrial robots.

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