Mar 16 2018
SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou (SIAF) successfully concluded with a double-digit percentage increase in visitor figures, despite a Sunday opening. The three-day show took place from 4 ‒ 6 March at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. Held concurrently with Asiamold － Guangzhou International Mould & Die Exhibition, the fairs cemented their position as a vital trade platform for both the industrial automation and the mould, die casting and additive manufacturing markets in China.
In the view of many fairgoers, SIAF elevated itself to a new level this year. The increase in number of top-drawer brands as well as the diversity of innovative exhibits on display impressed visitors, while the continuous rise in exhibitor and visitor numbers inticed key players from the industry to once again make sure they did not miss this unique opportunity in the South China region.
Advanced industrial automation solutions captured the attention of fairgoers who looked on as exhibitors carried out product demonstrations. From rapid robotic arms to vacuum suction lifting devices and high precision sensors, Halls 2.1 to 5.1 were full of diverse and quality applications and solutions.
The organisers arranged various product categories into different halls to make navigation for fairgoers more convenient:
Hall 2.1: Industrial Robotics and Machine Vision
Halls 3.1 / 4.1: Control Technology / Drive Systems / Connective Technology / Digital Transformation
Hall 5.1: Sensors / IIoT
Key figures for SIAF 2018 and Asiamold 2018:
• 896 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions (+12.7%)
• 72,068 visitors from 40 countries and regions (+12.5%)
• 60,000 sqm across 5 halls
• 231 buyer delegate groups (+6%)
• 80 presentations delivered during the concurrent event programmes
Concurrent fair programme develops its international presence with the debut participation of the Japanese Electrical Manufacturers’ Association
Besides being a sourcing platform, SIAF also acts as an ideal hub for high-level technical presentations and discussions. A total of 80 talks were delivered during the concurrent event programmes by some of the leading industry players and academics from China and around the world. The debut participation of the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association greatly enhanced the international flavour of the seminar lineup. Their presentation ‒ “Manufacturing Innovation with IoT - Proposal for Manufacturing 2030 from Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association" ‒ was attended by a full house of 350 guests.
The “Dialogue with Hidden Champions” series also continued its successful run for another year. Beckhoff, Phoenix Contact and B&R Automation discussed various difficulties encountered by the industry as well as potential solutions. Vibrant discussion, innovative concepts and eye-catching exhibits qualified SIAF 2018 as another rewarding edition of the show with expectations for next year already growing.
Show earns cross-industry support with positive feedback from fairgoers
Exhibitor: Mr Xie Zhihui, Account Manager
Beckhoff Automation (Shanghai) Co Ltd
“We believe that SIAF is the most professional automation fair in South China of its kind. That is why we choose to attend the show year after year. We look to achieve two goals: the first one is to consolidate our position as the leading industry player in the field by not missing any important exhibitions. Secondly, we want to get in touch with different clients, which is important to boost our sales. A Sunday opening enabled engineers from more distant areas to visit the show. On the second day, many engineers from the buyer delegations came to our booth. We will definitely come back again next year.”
Exhibitor: Ms Maggie Liu, Marketing Supervisor
Cognex Vision Inspection System (Shanghai) Co Ltd
“SIAF is the first automation show in 2018 in South China. It is a highly effective platform to showcase our latest products. This year, visitors were interested in our brand new ES-A5000 Series Area Scan 3D Camera, spending a long time observing the display. A significant proportion of visitors came from the automotive industry, while we even received enquiries from the agricultural sector. Receiving over 400 leads on the first day was an unexpected result for a Sunday opening.”
Exhibitor: Mr Wang Liang, Marketing Manager
Adtech (Shenzhen) Technology Co Ltd
“SIAF has significant influence within the industry in the South China region. We keep returning to the fair in order to increase our brand awareness. This year, our exhibits on display were robotics, fieldbus systems and linear motors. For fieldbus systems, we showcased the total solutions of Ethercat and RTEX. Existing clients visited our booth and I am satisfied with the flow and quality of visitors. SIAF enables us to present the foundation of our technologies to our clients. In return, we gained market insights for future product development. The fair plays a dynamic role in driving technological progress by gathering suppliers and buyers in one place to facilitate the exchange of market intelligence.”
Exhibitor: Mr Barney Wang, Marketing Specialist
KEBA Industrial Automation (Shanghai) Co Ltd
“This is our first time exhibiting in South China. SIAF is the fair that most people recommended. Our objectives are not necessarily to look for solid orders, but to extend our market reach in the region. Our company specialises in control systems of robotics and we develop diversified options of on-the-go software packages. The visitor flow of the first day was impressive for a Sunday opening. Visitors were fascinated by the speed and the stability of our systems and they were really keen to take photos of the robots.”
Seminar Speaker: Mr Tomoya Abe, Assistant Manager, Engineering Department
The Japan Electrical Manufacturers’ Association
“This is our first time visiting SIAF. We were indeed overwhelmed by the number of visitors onsite. The seminar hall was packed and some attendees were happy to stand up the whole time. Quite a number of the audience came to exchange business cards with us after the session. Japan has advantages in core components, while China enjoys a greater economy of scale. I believe such a networking channel can encourage knowledge sharing and promote cooperation between the Japanese and Chinese automation industries in the long run. I hope that Chinese and Japanese companies can learn from each other and if there is an opportunity, we will definitely visit SIAF again.”
Seminar Speaker: Dr. Pinsheng Du, Chief Technology Officer
Nanjing Phoenix Contact Co Ltd
“This seminar is invaluable to the industry as it brings key decision makers in the field of automation in China together to discuss the difficulties encountered by the entire industry, as well as the possible solutions. Our guest speakers from Phoenix Contact, B&R Automation and Beckhoff, are actually direct competitors. Yet their CEOs are willing to put the competition aside and embrace information sharing during this occasion. Such a dialogue is unique in China. I hope we can inspire attendees and get them ready for the transformation in the IoT era.”
Seminar Speaker: Dr Weirong Xiao, Director of Great China
B&R Industrial Automation (China) Co Ltd
“The ‘Dialogue with Hidden Champion’ series is a well-received seminar, which provides a great occasion for leading brands to interact with their target market. The presentation is more than a product introduction as we believe our discussion can faciliate the exchange of technical know-how and offer insights into future developments. The audience enthusiastically participated in the seminar and the attendance was really pleasing. I don’t think this result would be seen at other fairs.”
Premium Buyer: Mr Nicholas Li, Training Supervisor
Flextronics Manufacturing (Zhuhai) Co Ltd
“We have been visiting the fair since the first edition. This year, more than 10 employees from our automation department visited the fair. We specialise in electronic manufacturing services and iterative prototyping which can be applied in different industries. One of the iterative prototyping examples in the current market we are involved in is Fitbit fitness trackers. We would like to explore the latest industry trends and automation equipments. The fair connects our employees with representatives from different companies and encountering new ideas will further inspire our frontline staff to develop better technologies.”
Premium Buyer: Mr Tang Deshi, Electrical Officer, Engineering Department
Guangdong Jiaduobao Drink & Food Co Ltd
“Our brand specialises in the production of herbal tea and mineral water. We came here to look for sensors and accessories for our production lines. Two to three suppliers have drawn our attention and Triumph Cable is one of them. We are interested in their cables which can connect with robots. The supplier is also located at Dongguan, which is close to our factory. It is very likely we will purchase their products for trial. Visiting the fair allows you to experience how various technologies can be applied which you would not be able to do online.”
SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou is jointly organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, China Foreign Trade Guangzhou Exhibition General Corporation, Guangzhou Overseas Trade Fairs Ltd and Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. Associate sponsors are the Guangdong Association of Automation, the Guangzhou Association of Automation and the Guangzhou Instrument and Control Society.
The next edition of SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou will take place from 10 – 12 March 2019. For more information about the show, please visit www.spsinchina.com, or email [email protected].