Manufacturing Innovation - Italian Style

2011 was a good year for the fluid power sector in Italy as the country enjoyed double-digit growth as sales of hydraulic production increased 24.9% while pneumatic production was up 10.6%.

The industrial automation sector also enjoyed a 15% increase.

These sectors are hoping to return to the 2008 level and will showcase the latest innovations at the Fluidtrans Compomac 2012 show and Mechanical Power Transmission & Motion Control, in Milan May 8-11.

At the Applied Innovation Areas of the show, research centers and universities will display projects and prototypes including:

ISWEC - a prototype of a system for wave motion energy generation for the production of energy from renewable sources, in particular, waves. It was developed by the mechanical and aerospace engineering department of the Polytechnics of Turin and by Wave for energy.

EHA-INAVICO-- an electro-hydrostatic actuation system which can be employed for power actuation, automation, active and passive vibration control. It was developed by MESAP, a mechatronics and advanced production system pool, based in Piedmont.

Easy Robotics -- software platform designed for dimensioning of pneumatics components for handling in the main branches of machinery assembling, packing and lifting of heavy items. It will be presented by the University of Brescia.