Manufacturing technology in motion

BY MARIO CYWINSKI

The 2023 edition of the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS) drew over 8,000 attendees to the Toronto Congress Centre near the airport. The show offered attendees over 50 knowledge sessions, over 200 new products to view, over 500 suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to network with, and over 250,000 sq. ft. of floor space to discover.

CMTS (which takes place every other year, alternating with IMTS in Chicago) focuses on the latest equipment and technology in automation, robotics, additive manufacturing, machine tools, metal forming, fabricating, and digital transformation. Those in attendance represent many industries, including automotive, aerospace, energy, government, commercial and industrial, and oil and gas.

Visit from the PM

This year, even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made time to visit the show. Trudeau walked the show and spoke to members of the manufacturing community. He also had a fireside chat with Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, which held its Annual Conference in conjunction with CMTS.

The transportation revolution

Flavio Volpe, also provided a keynote about How Canada Can Drive the Next Transportation Revolution. He spoke about the Project Arrow, which was displayed on the CMTS trade show floor. The Arrow is an all-electric automotive concept vehicle which features materials and parts from 60 Canadian companies.

Trade show in full force

In what was the biggest CMTS since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 500 suppliers and OEMs showed off over 200 of their new products.

Robotic machines were everywhere, as can be seen in the videos below. The show floor was busy for all four days of the show, as attendees and exhibitors networked.

The show floor also included a Canadian Tooling and Machining Association tooling pavilion, a CWB-EWI welding showcase, and an emerging innovators showcase. The Smart hub was where attendees could relax and network with fellow colleagues and grab a refreshment.

Other highlights included a smart theatre that presented a plethora of experts on the topic of smart manufacturing adoption and a bright minds student summit, which included 120 high school students.

Focus on keynotes

CMTS opened with a keynote by Massimiliano Moruzzi, CEO, Xaba, who spoke about Shaping Tomorrow’s Industry: Canada’s Odyssey with Industrial AI

Another day one keynote was presented by Diane Reko, CEO, Reko Inter national Group Inc., who spoke about Charting the Future of Canadian Manufacturing.

Sarah Syed, innovator, climate activist and poet, delivered another keynote, focusing on the Impact: How to Transform Your Passions into a Medium for Change

Syed also participated in the Wonderous Women in Manufacturing panel, along with moderator Julie Pike, Lisa Block, chief revenue officer, Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, and Mihaela Vlasea, mechanical and mechatronix engineering professor, University of Waterloo.

Other keynotes and panels included: Unleashing the Power of AI in Manufacturing by Chris Casey, industrial manuf acturing and automotive sector lead, PwC Canada, and Micheal Gardiner, manufacturing industry lead, Microsoft Canada; Staying Ahead of the Curve with Industry 5.0, ESG and Workforce Upskilling by Subo Chatterjee, digital operations and industry 5.0, PwC Canada, Nadia Malik, transformation head, Bombardier, and Micheal Gardiner; Making the CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Security, Electric) for Canada by John Heaton, partner, KPMG LLP, Alex Qi, CEO, Pontosense, and John Komar, executive director, ACE, Ontario Tech University; and Leading in the Transforming Manufacturing Industry by Greta Cutulenco, CEO, Acerta.