The twenty-fifth conference on computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (Cad/Cam), robotics and factories of the future has an impressive line-up of international guest speakers and presenters.

The conference, which takes place at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria from July 13 to July 16, will host, among others, the director of the Creative Industries Research Institute at Auckland University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand, professor Olaf Diegel; professor Deon de Beer, Executive Director: Technology Transfer and Innovation, Vaal University of Technology; and professor Ronald Harley from The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.

Topics
The programme includes sessions on Advanced Manufacturing, Modelling and Simulation, Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, Mechatronic Systems, Neural Networks and Bayesian Networks, Robots and Automation and Service and Field Robotics.

The conference aims to provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of the latest scientific concepts and technological developments in the field of CAD/CAM, robotics and factories of the future. The full programme can be viewed at http://www.carsfof2010.com/prog.aspx.

These topics should be of particular interest to South African manufacturing companies who use flexible manufacturing systems; computer integrated manufacturing systems and agile manufacturing systems in the production facilities.

Advanced Manufacturing Systems associated with the principles of Mechatronics and Robotics is ideal to improve the quality and production efficiencies of South African companies that want to compete in the global market place. As the South African economy starts to pick up and we move into a period of sustained growth, mechatronics and robotics can be used to improve the production capabilities of South African companies.

Technical tour
Delegates will be taken on a technical tour of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR’s) mechatronics and micromanufacturing unit, which focuses on research and development in advanced manufacturing technologies. Innovative technologies will be on show that could assist local industries in increasing their competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Included in the technical tour, will be research related to advanced manufacturing, reconfigurable and flexible manufacturing systems, robotics and mechatronic systems, automation and control, micromanufacturing, microfluidics and microsytems.

More information is available on the conference website: http://www.carsfof2010.com/