FPDA fall meeting set for Chicago

Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 10/1/2006

A look at the topics and speakers scheduled for this year's fall meeting of the Fluid Power Distributors Assn. reveals the meeting's theme— “Innovation in Motion.”

That theme, and many of the scheduled topics, weren't arrived at by chance, explained Kathy DeMarco, FPDA's executive director. The meeting will be held in Chicago Nov. 2-5.

A 2005 members' needs study identified distributors' top interests, DeMarco said.

“By far, they wanted future-thinking programs,” she said, referring to topics such as “forecasting, how to move forward … as opposed to lot of more general things that a lot of associations do.”

A topic that was well received at last year's fall meeting in Pittsburgh will be presented again. Jack Hipple will talk about the TRIZ methodology. Hipple is a principal at Innovation-TRIZ, Inc. (TRIZ is a Russian acronym for “Theory of Solving Problems Inventively.”)

TRIZ (“trees”) is a way of forecasting and planning technology and business futures. Major corporations are using it as a part of their technology, product development, and intellectual property strategies.

Hipple's talk, “Forecasting Innovation and Breakthroughs—Is It Possible?” will be followed up with a breakout session.

“There are a couple of survey questions already out to registered delegates to identify a common challenge in the industry,” DeMarco said. “Hipple will then apply the TRIZ method to that industry challenge.”

Other sessions and topics will cover, “a lot of innovations with the technology of fluid power itself, combining hydraulics and pneumatics with electronics and electronic controls and other companion technologies,” DeMarco said.

And on Saturday afternoon, there will be an Automation Innovations Showcase.

“We want to focus on applications to help our distributors find out how they can move into higher tech products in order to provide more comprehensive system solutions for their customers,” DeMarco said.

She said early registration has been strong, and that she is optimistic for a large attendance in Chicago.

“We've been making a concentrated effort at trying to get fresh, new speakers that perhaps FPDA members haven't seen before,” she said. “So, we made that effort and put a little more money into the speaker program and have some new faces with some new outlooks on things.”