Fastems, the main partner of the Subcontracting Fair, encourages embracing new technology wisely
News 14.05.2024
Finland’s primary event for the subcontracting industry, the Subcontracting Fair, will be held this year from 1-3 October 2024 at the Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre. The theme of the event is “Artificial Intelligence for Productivity”. The main partner of the Subcontracting Fair, Fastems, known for CNC automation solutions, will play a significant role in launching the theme. Fastems encourages companies to embrace new technologies and reminds them, when it comes to automation and digitalization, now is the right time to act – but not hastily.
Fastems is a Finnish family-owned company that supplies CNC automation solutions to help metalworking manufacturers improve their production efficiency. Heikki Hallila, VP of Digital Manufacturing and New Businesses, describes Finland as home to many leading manufacturers and subcontractors.
“We want to support our home market, the Finnish manufacturing industry, and its international competitiveness. History also shows that Finns have been among the first to develop smart applications for novel technology”, Hallila sums up.
Fastems is aware that automation, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence are opportunities only for those who seize them and do so wisely. The correct situational picture helps you move forward, and Subcontractor Fair offers a perfect opportunity to re-fresh it.
“You can’t stand still but shouldn’t adopt technologies just for novelty. You need to identify the critical problems and objectives in manufacturing where the technology can be used and then select the right solutions and partners.”
Fastems takes artificial intelligence back to basics
The theme of this year’s Subcontracting Fair is “Artificial Intelligence for Productivity.” In industry, the potential of artificial intelligence is particularly intertwined with increasing productivity. Thanks to AI, there are already plenty of ways to improve quality, cut costs, and increase efficiency. This theme fits well with Fastems’ core competencies. For almost 15 years, the company’s automation control software MMS has been based on algorithms that constantly monitor and optimize production.
“The key question is how Finnish manufacturing companies and subcontractors can succeed with automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Instead of abstract discourse, we want to connect the potential of emerging technology with daily machine shop challenges, Hallila says.
According to Fastems, the first step in utilizing AI is understanding which manufacturing challenges you want to address with it. These could include more resilient production management, i.e. faster reaction to changes or unexpected situations. It’s good to remember, that the majority of use-cases of AI in manufacturing are in the domain of machine learning, which requires quality data.
“We have recently launched production analytics software Factory Cockpit that enables situational awareness for machine shops by combining machine and production order information. This enables quick reaction to changes, followed by data-driven suggestions for improving production.”
“We want to enable the first steps towards using artificial intelligence in manufacturing and create a solid basis for it. We invite Finnish manufacturing companies to build these with us – and many pilots are already underway,” Hallila says.
This year, Fastems promotes digital solutions
Fastems will be prominently featured in the Subcontracting Fair programme throughout the event.
“We want to use these opportunities to help Finnish manufacturing companies make bolder and smarter decisions in automation, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence applications,” Hallila says.
At the exhibition, Fastems will showcase the latest CNC automation solutions via virtual Living Factory environment and case studies. The company has been known for this expertise for decades. New digital solutions and services will get extra attention this year. They support overall production efficiency, good situational awareness, and ease of maintenance.
For many companies, Subcontracting Fair is a key channel through which they can increase their presence in their home market. This is also the case for Fastems, whose many new products have found their first customers in Finland.
“We encourage bold curiosity! In the Subcontracting Fair, we will present our manufacturing execution software Work Cell Operations, our production analytics tool Factory Cockpit, and our service portal for automation systems, myFastems,” says Hallila.