ROSEMONT, IL, April 24, 2019 - The ASSEMBLY Show, which is focused exclusively on assembly technology equipment and products, has selected Michael Mikula, Chief Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing of Ford Motor Company to be the keynote speaker at this year's event. Mike will discuss how Ford is using state-of-the-art production tools and processes to make the vehicles of tomorrow. The three-day trade show and conference, which was recently recognized by Trade Show News Network as one of the Top 250 US Trade Shows, will be held from Tuesday, October 22 to Thursday, October 24, 2019 in Rosemont, Illinois at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Registration is now open for this 7th annual event at www.theassemblyshow.com.

"Michael Mikula plays a very crucial role and is impassioned about the importance of automotive manufacturing and 3D printing in the industry, and we look forward to hearing his insight and experience," said Tom Esposito, Publisher, ASSEMBLY Magazine. "Ford Motor Co. recently unveiled a $45 million Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford, MI and Michael will provide our attendees with a glimpse of the cutting-edge technology, including drones, exoskeletons, mobile robots and vision systems they are using."

In a recent article in ASSEMBLY Magazine, Senior Editor Austin Weber reported that most R&D activity in the auto industry these days is focusing on electric power trains and autonomous vehicles. But, efficiently assembling those products tomorrow will depend on harnessing state-of-the-art production tools and processes today. To address that issue, Ford's engineers are exploring new ways to deploy additive manufacturing, augmented reality and collaborative robots on the factory floor.

Mike joined Ford Motor Company in 1993 as a process engineer and was selected to participate in its prestigious four-year Manufacturing Leadership Program in 1997. He then held a series of management positions at Ford, overseeing the $1.6 billion overhaul of manufacturing processes at four different plants to introduce Ford's EcoBoost engine in 2006 and helping Ford's Van Dyke manufacturing plant increase production from 800,000 units to 1.8 million units per year from 2009 to 2012. In October 2017, Mike was named global chief engineer for manufacturing system and infrastructure at Ford. In this role he oversaw the manufacturing processes for engines, transmissions, axles, batteries, and motors across the globe, playing a critical part in the introduction of next-generation electrical and hybrid technologies. In August 2018, Mike was named the Chief Engineer of the Advanced Manufacturing organization at Ford with global responsibilities for introducing technology in practical ways to address existing pain point while pursuing manufacturing methods that combine technologies to maintain Ford's position as an industry leader in manufacturing.

The 7th Annual ASSEMBLY Show will bring together 8,000 industry professionals with nearly 300 exhibiting companies providing manufacturing engineers and managers the opportunity to uncover new resources, experience equipment hands-on, evaluate the latest technologies and products and connect face-to-face with industry experts. The trade show floor is already nearly 80% sold out and will feature Gold Sponsor Promess, Silver Sponsors Schunk and Ingersoll Rand, and Bronze Sponsors Cincinnati Test Systems, Orbitform, and Schmidt Technology. Registration is now open for the 2019 event at theassemblyshow.com.

The ASSEMBLY Show is sponsored by ASSEMBLY (www.assemblymag.com), a monthly trade magazine read by 56,000 engineers and managers responsible for manufacturing and designing cars, computers, catheters, coffee makers, etc. ASSEMBLY covers the processes, technologies and strategies for joining discrete parts into finished products. The event is produced by BNP Media (www.bnpmedia.com), one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving professionals across 50+ industries. For more information, visit www.theassemblyshow.com.

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