Ohio Leaders Proclaim 'Manufacturing Week' October 24 - 30, 2004 With Opening of FABTECH International

CLEVELAND, Oct. 21, 2004 -- FABTECH International 2004, North America's largest annual metal forming and fabricating event comes to the Cleveland I-X Center October 26-28, 2004 with more than 2,000 (tons of) products displayed on the show floor by more than 500 of the world's leading equipment manufacturers, technology experts and materials suppliers. The event is co-sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA). Celebrating the importance of the manufacturing community and FABTECH International, the annual event is being acknowledged in proclamations issued by Ohio Governor Bob Taft who has declared the week of October 24-30 as "Manufacturing Week in Ohio," and Mayor Jane L. Campbell, who has proclaimed "Manufacturing Week in Cleveland."

Fabricating technologies featured at this year's event include technologies designed to increase the automation efficiencies of fabricating processes, such as automated material handling equipment, robotic welding machines, advanced CNC machines and technologies that eliminate secondary processing steps, such as new three-dimensional cutting technology or advances in lasers and plasma cutting.

Technology Areas Focus on Key Equipment and Processes

Support from metal fabricating original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) continues to increase at the even-year edition of FABTECH. Significant new product introductions include new welding products, laser trackers, high-speed laser cutters, flexible manufacturing, waterjet cutting with natural diamonds, and innovative deburring technologies.

Ohio exhibitors will be launching many new exciting products some of which include the following:

  *  Demag Cranes and Components - DC Chain Hoist
  *  Lincoln-Electric - LF-72 Wire Feeder
  *  The M.K. Morse Co. - TiN Coated Step Drills

* Scientific Forming Corp. Anisotropy, Texture, Stamping and Warm Forming products.

The show will draw forming and fabricating professionals from over 50 countries to see the latest metal forming and fabricating equipment and services. The event projects an estimated 13,000 attendees visiting FABTECH featuring technical advances in metal forming and fabricating technology including: welding, stamping, robotics, punching, bending, safety, hydroforming, lasers, finishing, cutting, controls, coil processing, software, tooling, material-handling, and more. Show hours are:

  *  Tuesday, October 26, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  *  Wednesday, October 27, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  *  Thursday, October 28, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

  FABTECH Conference Offers Knowledge and Solutions

Held concurrently with the event, the world-class FABTECH International Conference explores the latest production processes and business improvement strategies. This year's new sessions include: Profit Growth Management, Understanding Lubricants, Creating Integrated Roll Forming Systems, Improving Roll Forming Quality & Productivity, Creating a Press Room Preventative Maintenance Program, and Safety Issues for Better Employee Performance.

"Keeping American Manufacturing Competitive in a Global Economy" is Topic at Keynote Event

Wednesday, October 27, 8 a. m. - 9 a.m., Grant Aldonas, Under Secretary for the International Trade Administration - U.S. Department of Commerce, will deliver the keynote address at the FABTECH Keynote event.

For more information on all FABTECH events, contact SME Customer Service by phone at +1 (800) 733-4763; or log onto http://www.sme.org/fabtech . Or, contact FMA by phone at +1-(800)-432-2832; or log onto http://www.fmafabtech.com/ . The FABTECH International event is co-sponsored by industry-leading associations -- SME and FMA.

The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Int'l (FMA), headquartered in Rockford, Ill., USA, is a non-profit educational association dedicated exclusively to metal forming and fabricating professionals. Online access is at http://www.fmanet.org/ .

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Visit us at http://www.sme.org/ .