Report sees further growth in Ontario manufacturing

According to a new Scotiabank study, Ontario can expect to experience moderate growth through 2013 and 2014 at slightly less than the national pace, with further expansion anticipated across several export industries, and substantial infrastructure investment. Manufacturing has been a key driver to the province's growth this past year and will continue to be so, says the study. 

Manufacturing gains
Manufacturing shipments increased nearly 5% last year, led by transportation equipment. According to Statistics Canada’s Public and Private Investment Intentions, manufacturing investment is set to increase 8% this year, concentrated in machinery & equipment. Significant auto sector investments are occurring in a number of locations including Ingersoll, Cambridge, and a research facility in Oshawa. Production increases are scheduled for facilities in Woodstock, Alliston and Oshawa. Since 40% of Ontario’s production is oriented towards cross-over utility vehicles, their increasing popularity has benefited the province. While motor vehicle assemblies will continue to climb, gains are forecast to slow to 5½% this year and just under 2% in 2014. 

Adding to exports and employment, the aerospace sector’s growth in 2012 should extend into 2013 given an historically high level of unfilled orders. Beyond transportation equipment, machinery manufacturing has witnessed a solid expansion, with average annual shipments rising nearly 9% in the three years following the recession. Food and beverages, representing a one-eighth share of total provincial shipments, also should continue to record modest, but steady growth. The development of liquids-rich U.S. natural gas shales is reinvigorating Ontario’s petrochemical industry, with producers undertaking investments to switch from oil-based feedstocks to ethane (a Natural Gas Liquid). 

Industrial sector leads investment
According to the Investment Intentions Survey, total business investment will soften this year, despite pockets of new initiatives in sectors such as autos and food processing. Commercial construction declined last year, but looking forward, office building construction will contribute to growth through 2014, led by the financial sector. 

For more details of the study, visit www.scotiabank.com.

AMADA To Take the Impregnable Leading Position in the World Sheet Metal Market

AMADA To Take the Impregnable Leading Position in the World
Sheet Metal Market
A Global Event Will Be Held at the Head Office in Isehara
AMADA (President and CEO Mitsuo Okamoto) will hold a global event called
"AMADA Innovation Fair 2012 Global" at the Solution Center (AMADA SC) in
Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture. At this event, AMADA will exhibit all the laser
solutions AMADA has produced with a focus the next-generation production control
software "SEM" (Sheet Metal Engineering Model) that visualizes the entire process
from order reception to shipment. In addition, AMADA will propose a new
manufacturing concept based on two viewpoints: processing technology and the
automation system. In order to help customers gain a better understanding of
AMADA brands, the company will present a variety of solutions focused on markets
in which competitors are currently maintaining relatively strong positions. Through
this event, AMADA aims to secure its competitive edge domestically, in particular in
the laser market, and to roll back European manufacturers in the metal sheet
global market. This event will be held for 10 days over two periods: the first period
will encompass five Fridays and Saturdays in May starting on the second Friday
(that is the 12th, 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th of May), and the second period consists
of the first and second Fridays and Saturdays, and first Sunday of June. Three
thousand users from 1,500 companies are expected to visit the event during these
periods.

AMADA has designed May and November each year as event months, and has
been presenting new products and proposing new solutions through these periods.
Utilizing the above know-how and experience, AMADA held a private AIFC
(AMADA Innovation Fair 2011 in China) exhibition in Shanghai, China, last
December, chartering the Expo theme hall. The event achieved
greater-than-expected success, attracting 6,000 visitors from 1,800 companies and
seeing the signing of contracts worth more than three billion yen.
The scheduled AIFG (AMADA Innovation Fair 2012 Global) will be the start of
the global launch of achievements made at the AIFC, the first overseas event
predominantly planned and executed by the Head Office.At this event, AMADA
aims to proactively invite customers who are not familiar with the company. In
addition, more than 500 guests both from home and abroad will be invited to the
event in which AMADA will release SEM, a new concept in manufacturing.
Articles to be displayed include the following:
(1) Laser lineup zone The full lineup of fiber, CO2, compound and welding
machines plus visualized processing technology will be exhibited. In addition,
processing technology will be fully conceptualized through the use of video, and
the effectiveness of the technology in terms of processing conditions, quality,
processing time and costs will be demonstrated using actual product samples
and quantified engineering data.
(2) Exhibition of Processing-technology island and products (assembly models)
AMADA's proposal is not focused merely on the "performance and quality of our
machines" but rather on the "processing technology" that provides further
processing innovations to customers who use these machines. We will
demonstrate processing of actual products rather than the traditional processing
of samples.
(3) Automation pavilion
Based on a range of themes focused on the high-mix varied volume production
and expansion of the areas of processing and ecology, AMADA proposes a new
manufacturing concept centering around SEM, the software that succeeds VPSS,
from the angles of both laser processing technology and automation technology.
Guests will experience SEM-based manufacturing using three products as
examples.
(4) Three technical seminars are scheduled to be held as follows:
May 18 (Friday): "Next-generation laser processing"
Joining and Welding Research Institute Osaka University
Associate professor Masahiro Tsukamoto
May 25 (Friday): "Future robot technology that makes the impossible possible"
Future Robotics Technology Center, Chiba Institute of Technology
Center president Takayuki Furuta
June 1 (Friday): "Development and future India's manufacturing industry -
Academic-industrial cooperation viewed from IIT"
Dean of Production Engineering Department Madras School,
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Dr. N. Ramesh Babu