TORINO, Italy: There’s no doubting Italy’s ability to produce beautiful, functional and efficient cars. Some of the world’s most famous brands come from the country, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, and of course Fiat (the most modest of the bunch). It was only fitting that the PLANT’s recent media delegation hosted by Machines Italia and the Italian Trade Commission should stop over in Torino to visit the facility that’s responsible for that little car that’s seen on Canadian roads, it’s uber-cool 500 model. The Torino-based company is most widely known for its cars, but it has

BOLOGNA, Italy: There’s nothing quite like the harmonized hum of robotics, or the perpetual pounding of punching machines to let one know they’re at a metal production trade-show. Thankfully, those theatrics only add to an atmosphere only matched by exploring shop floors themselves. Only at this year’s Lamiera metal forming and production show, the environment’s a little cleaner, and maybe a touch quieter. (For some Plant Magazine Lamiera 2012 show floor photos, click here) Lamiera is the delegation’s first stop in Bologna, part of a media junket of Italian manufacturing and technology hosted

MILAN, Italy: It has been another jam-packed day here in Milan, highlighted by three of Italy’s largest manufacturing technology trade shows – FluidTrans, PLAST and Xylexpo – which feature across more than 100,000 square meters of tech from some 1,500 exhibitors, including fluid power and transmission, plastics and woodworking. I’m here as part of a trade media delegation hosted by Machines Italia and the Italian Trade Commission. FluidTrans 2012 FluidTrans is hosted by Feddermacchine’s ASSOFLUID, an association of Italian fluid power and transmission equipment and component firms. The show

The company, a Milan-based innovation think-tank that specializes in the production of components for ultra-high vacuum and gas purification applications for industrial customers invests at least 10% of its revenues in research and innovation annually, a practice it says saved the company. In 2009, SAES Getters recorded its worst sales in the 70 year history of the company, $164 million. It attributes that rough year to changes in technologies of one of its major industrial sectors. When consumer electronics companies were producing liquid crystal displays (LCD), SAES Getters provided vaccuum

Matt Powell, Assistant Editor at Plant Magazine is amongst a group of nine Canadian and US journalists, from various business and Industrial publications, who are participating to a delegation in Italy to visit the The trade shows trifecta; FLUIDTRANS PLAST 2012 XYLEXPO, in Milano as well as LAMIERA Bologna. The delegation hosted by the Italian Trade Commissions of both Canada and the US, and Machines Italia, an initiative designed by the commission to promote Italian-made machinery and technology to manufacturers in North America. Follow Matt Powell's live feed of the events at: MATT POWELL