The Future Aluminium Forum will return as an online event on 1st – 2nd December 2021.
While the world slowly re-opens, Quartz Business Media, the organisers of the Future Aluminium Forum, have made the decision to keep this year’s event in a digital format, before returning to a live conference in December 2022.
Now in its fourth year, the Future Aluminium Forum is the only event dedicated to assisting the sector in the transition to digital manufacturing and with the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies.
Previous editions of the event have been held in Milan and Warsaw, but following the COVID-19 restrictions, plans to host the Forum in Québec in 2020 were postponed and the event moved online onto a digital exhibition and conference platform.
Bridging the gap
This year’s Forum will take a look at how far the sector has come with integrating digital technologies and where the challenges still remain.
Since it's inception in Germany in 2011, Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has set out to transform the process manufacturing industry. It brings together a number of technological advances, including machine learning (ML), cloud and edge computing, big data from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and robotic process automation.
Aluminium manufacturers today are already seeing the transformative benefits of Industry 4.0 and recent surveys have shown that the significant impacts are still to come, with up to 85% of American manufacturing companies set to be using smart factories by 2025.
But is progress towards this Fourth Industrial Revolution lagging behind the optimistic perception of its potential?
Where is the gap when it comes to realising the value of Industry 4.0 and implementation?
Have companies adapted to a change in culture that sees them able to move beyond the proof of concept? Or are there still issues with plants struggling to integrate data and connect across all systems?
COVID-19 recovery?
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt across a number of industries, but it seems that the aluminium sector was able to use this time to accelerate plans for robotic automation programs and ensure factory employees were kept at safe distances, while integrating more remote working and assisted technologies.
Smart factory tools like remote monitoring, predictive maintenance and analytics played a crucial role while plants ran on skeleton staff and supply chains were interrupted.
So, how can the aluminium sector ensure there isn't a gap between those industry leaders who are already embracing Industry 4.0 and those who are holding back from making changes?
Is it now a case of no other choice, but to act fast and catch up?
Join the discussion
This year's Future Aluminium Forum will aim to answer all of these questions and look at the challenges of implementation, especially with pilot projects, which can tend to get stuck when it comes to scaling practices into production processes.
Join us for another virtual conference on 1st - 2nd December 2021, to address the challenges behind implementing Industry 4.0 technologies and find out why building digital culture across an organisation is key to a fully digital transformation.
Call for speakers
We are keen to hear from companies who have already embraced digital manufacturing and those who are still unsure on how best to adapt. The conference programme will include a mix of case studies, best practice examples and opportunities for discussion.
Please contact Nadine Bloxsome directly for the chance to present a paper or host a live video panel discussion: [email protected]
Earlybird rate
Delegates can join the Forum for as little as £49. However, this offer expires on 8th October, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend the live conference sessions, network with new and existing clients in real-time, visit the exhibition booths of technological solutions providers and join in live discussion forums on the latest topics.
You can register via the link below for access across the two days and to also make the most of the networking opportunities and on-demand content for 30 days after the event: https://futurealuminiumforum.com/registration
We look forward to welcoming everyone to the next Future Aluminium Forum.