The EFP team is eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s Automate trade show! Beginning Monday, May 6th, through Thursday, May 9th, Automate is organized by the Association for Advancing Automation (also known as A3) who are hosting the show at the McCormick Center in Chicago Illinois. Automate is the largest solutions-based automation technology trade show in North America. This year they will be featuring over 800 exhibitors, making it a must-go for any businesses wanting to stay at the forefront of automation.
Background of Automate
2024 will mark the return of the show returning to Chicago, having been hosted in Detroit, Michigan for the past three years. First held in 2011, Automate began as a bi-annual trade show, although its predecessor, the International Robots, Vision & Motion Control Show dates all the way back to 1977. Thanks to its massive popularity and positive reception in recent years, A3 has decided to begin hosting the show annually; great news for anybody wanting to stay up to date on the latest in automation technology!
Why Should You Attend?
The importance and relevance of automation in the modern manufacturing world cannot be understated. With new advances in technology being released every day, it is now more important than ever to stay informed on the latest in tech to stay one step ahead of the competition. Automate is a fantastic opportunity to network with manufacturers and get a first-hand look at new products. This year, Automate will feature over 365,000 square feet of exhibitor booths with thousands of demo products, showing off new technologies in industry fields such as robotic automation, sensors, vision systems, and artificial intelligence, allowing you to see what they’re capable of firsthand. For decision makers looking for inspiration, Automate has found that 95 percent of attendees found what they were looking for, while 73 percent found new vendors they had never before heard of, making it an excellent opportunity to spark relationships with new suppliers!
Accessibility Considerations
To top it all off, Automate is also completely free to attend! Visitors can sign up on the A3 website in order to receive a show badge completely free of charge, meaning that the show is accessible to businesses, students, and tech enthusiasts of all budgets. In fact, the Automate show is completely open to the public for anyone ages 12 and over, making it a fantastic resource for students and educators interested in getting a first-hand look at the newest developments in the STEM field. Automate has also partnered with many of the hotels near the McCormick center, offering discounted rates and shuttle services to and from the show, a fantastic option for those not wanting to have to worry about paying for parking and dealing with Chicago traffic.
EFP’S Top Booth Picks
Here are some of our featured manufacturers to check out at the show:
Bimba/Norgren IMI (Booth #3873)
Now both subsidiaries of IMI precision engineering, Bimba and Norgren will be showcasing their lines of pneumatic cylinders, electric motion control products and pneumatic valves. This year, IMI will feature their highly customizable electric actuator lines, featuring multi-axis gantry systems, a bike repair stand showing off their pneumatic and vacuum products, and a transforming tooling robotic display with a moving arm controlled by a fully interactive human-machine interface.
Schmalz, inc. (Booth #407)
Schmalz has been an industry leader in vacuum technology for decades. Founded over 100 years ago, Schmalz has a huge range of suction cups and vacuum generators designed for industries ranging from case packing to electronics. Schmalz is also a big player in robotic automation, offering modular end effector systems, vacuum workholding solutions, and lift assist crane systems.
AUBO Robotics USA (Booth #1661)
Founded in 2010, Aubo offers quality collaborative robots at a competitive price. With the explosion of cobots in light to medium duty manufacturing roles in recent years, Aubo has a fantastic lineup of cobot models ranging from 3kg up to 20kg, Aubo robots can be used for a wide range of applications and can be purchased with turnkey solutions for both palletizing and welding. Click here to read our previous blog post on Aubo products!
CKD USA (Booth 2389)
CKD specializes in pneumatic and electrical actuators as well as directional control and process valves. Headquartered in Japan, their products can be found in a wide range of industries, from automotive and packaging to semiconductor and medical. CKD provides a huge variety of different automation components and is sure to have some excellent demos this year at Automate!
Cimon Automation (Booth #250)
Cimon provides a host of automation hardware and software products to help their customers track and streamline processes in an industry 4.0 world. Cimon offers several lines of PLC products for both simple and complex machinery and rugged HMI screens able to withstand the harshest industrial environments. They also offer their free to download Cicon and Canvas software for programming their PLC and HMI units respectively.
Autonics USA (Booth #1281) 
Autonics is a Korea-based company with over 45 years of experience in electrical automation. Offering products such as electrical sensors, temperature controllers, and safety equipment, Autonics prides themselves on providing reliable and efficient solutions to their customers. Never ones to stray away from innovation, Autonics’ new products, such as their smart camera vision system is sure to make a big splash this year at automate.
Final Thoughts
In our opinion, Automate is well worth the trip for any business or individual wanting to get a firsthand look at the latest automation tech. Whether you’re a small business looking to automate, an engineer looking for inspiration on your next project, or simply a student or enthusiast looking to learn about the latest tech, Automate is sure to have something for everybody. Much has changed in the tech world over the past year, and with new advances in areas like artificial intelligence, and collaborative robotics, even the most experienced tech veterans are sure to learn something new.
The EFP team plans to spend several days walking the show to keep up to date with the latest in automation, and we hope to see you there as well! For any questions relating to the show or our suppliers, feel free to give us a call at 937-890-5600 or send email inquiries to sales@efpia.com. On behalf of all of us here at EFP, safe travels to the show and happy April!