EDMONTON, Alberta, Aug. 1, 2023 — SME welcomed back regional manufacturing professionals for another successful installment of Western Canada’s longest-running event dedicated to supporting the industry, Western Manufacturing Technology Show (WMTS) 2023, which took place May 30 – June 1 at Edmonton Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. 

The three-day event hosted exhibiting companies that displayed the latest manufacturing technologies, products, processes, and materials from leading OEMs and suppliers showcasing their solutions. Attendees discovered new products in machine tools and tooling, workholding equipment, metalworking, and welding, plus advanced manufacturing solutions from additive manufacturing to automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0.  

“One of the things WMTS does best is encourage regional manufacturers to embrace new SMART technology as a way to navigate post-pandemic business realities and help improve their competitiveness plus increase their profitability,” said Arjun Hajela, SME’s group manager, events for Canada. “With several products being sold on the show floor and the buzzing networking receptions, it’s clear the industry in Western Canada remains vibrant.”  

Smart technology was discussed in detail in special presentations by Matthew Lowe, co-founder and CEO of Zerokey in “How Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) Technology is Shaping the Factory of the Future;” and Sriraj Meenavilli, product manager and Soumya Ranjan Sahoo, machine learning researcher at NTWIST in “Industry 4.0: Smart Robust Scheduling in Manufacturing Using AI.”  

Jason Leslie, COO of the Alberta Chamber of Commerce, also delivered a special presentation on the economic trends, opportunities and challenges in the Province. Attendees gained valuable insight into key impacts on Western Canada’s manufacturing sector, including changes in consumer demand, supply chain disruptions, labour market challenges and government policies affecting the industry.  

The hands-on, dynamic show floor environment showcased technologies and processes important to industries including oil and gas, petrochemicals, commercial machinery, construction, mining, agriculture, wind energy and aerospace. Companies such as Elliott Matsuura, Mazak, Merchant Machine Tools, Cascade Capital Machines, and Rapid 3D were some of the largest exhibitors.     

WMTS 2025 will take place in spring 2025 at Edmonton Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Stay up to date on WMTS by visiting wmts.ca and following the event on LinkedIn.  

About WMTS 

For more than 30 years, top manufacturers in Western Canada have attended WMTS looking for new ideas, solutions and suppliers to help them gain a competitive edge. WMTS makes great ideas accessible and sparks conversation. Convening many of Canada’s engineering experts, the event fosters the face-to-face collaboration needed to improve the industry of the future. Learn more at wmts.ca.