Engineer by study and profession, machine tool enthusiast and a real connoisseur of the sector: is your profile that of the perfect visitor of BI-MU?
In almost 30 years of activity and while attending BI-MU, I have had the opportunity to meet visitors of all kinds: from a production engineer to an enthusiast involving his son; from a technician of a small machine workshop to an entrepreneur in the first person. It is difficult to outline a precise profile, but I can affirm that at Cizeta Automazione, where I work, we are 13 employees, all software design engineers and all with a deep passion for this sector that represents a kind of synergy between mechanical technology, electronics and materials.
And not only that… if we think of Industry 4.0
I have been working at Cizeta since 1995 and every year I have observed some innovations in this sector. Cizeta Automazione Srl was established in 1982 by Gianni Cairo and Alberto Zavattaro, who had been in charge of the applications of the first CNCs at Graziano in Tortona at that time.
At our company, we experienced the entire evolution of the hardware and software applied to the machines over the last 50 years, starting with magnetic-core memories, perforated tapes, up to the first applications of mainframe Digital and Italian-made CNCs, such as Elsag, Olivetti-Osai, ECS.
As a partner of Siemens in Automation, today we are active in various development areas of digitalisation related to manufacturing processes and logistics.
We are convinced that machine tools have played a significant role in the evolution of CNC and CAM and CAD design systems. Of course, the disruptive impact of digital and additive manufacturing has revolutionised the sector, even transforming trade fairs, as highlighted by the format of BI-MU for 2024. However, the way the entire product range of the manufacturing industry is designed, manufactured and marketed is highly dependent on machine tools, thus generating a “continuous evolutionary tension”.
How does this evolution affect those who work in the sector?
Technological evolution imposes the need to acquire new skills. This is another reason why our country must protect and incentivise such a strategic sector as that of production technologies. Because, even if it is true that in some modern activities with high level of automation, humans are practically required only to be fast – think of large-scale retailers – this can never be said for machine tools, which have always imposed articulated and cross-cutting standards of know-how and expertise between mechanics, electronics and materials.
| “… I have attended every edition of BI-MU since 1994 and will be there again in 2024. Not only because all the manufacturers will be there, but also to understand the technological trends that will characterise automation …” |
And Industry 5.0 opens up the dual theme of digitalisation-energy saving, which will also be addressed at BI-MU
Connected machines and data management, but also measurement and energy saving represent the new frontier of industrial innovation. Without a doubt, the concepts included in the definition of “Industry 5.0” are fascinating and open unexpected doors, thus generating new business models. However, I think that the current theory is still rather different from what actually occurs in production facilities.
It will be interesting to observe, at BI-MU Digital, which trends and advances are characterising and will characterise, in the future, the digital world applied to manufacturing.
Cizeta is very active in the field of product and process traceability. Demands for higher safety in production processes are met by systems that enable the traceability of products and their components. Being acquainted with assembly and testing processes can also help in the phase of optimisation of plants. Interconnection among the different levels in the production chain, introduced with the models of Industry 4.0, also allows to automate a number of operations, which previously used to be critical in terms of timing and possible errors in the management and communication between departments.
But instead, what complexity has the advent of the sustainability issue created in the sector?
Sustainability is much more an opportunity than a complexity. At CIZETA AUTOMATION, until a few years ago, we used to work mainly for the machine tool sector, with an established and long-standing customer base. Today, instead, we have expanded our customer portfolio, also developing systems for waste treatment management and reduction of ship emissions. Now, everybody is asked to operate according the ESG principles, thus generating a really enormous flow of activities for those working in the industry.
All these new dynamics of the sector will be discussed at 34.BI-MU… Will you be there again this year?
I have attended every edition of BI-MU since 1994 and plan to do so again in 2024, but also to understand the technological trends that will characterise the world of automation in the near future. A visit to the halls of BI-MU offers us the opportunity to meet people, create networks and obtain new ideas by observing the product offerings on show. In addition, the exhibition complex of Fieramilano is always very functional and welcoming, including the outdoor spaces… which adds value to the experience!
Interview released in July 2024.
