Press release 7 June 2006
For immediate release

SICFP'07 brings experts of hydraulics and automation to Tampere:
Interaction between research and industry pivotal during a time of transition in hydraulic technology

The international significance of Finnish research in hydraulics and automation is evident in a range of products on the world market based on its applications, forest machines among them. The leading conference in the field of hydraulics and automation, The Tenth Scandinavian International Conference on Fluid Power SICFP'07, takes place at Tampere Hall in Tampere on 21-23 May 2007.

Approximately 350 delegates are expected to attend the conference which brings together academic researchers and representatives of industry and business. The conference's themes include autonomous mobile machines and digital, mobile and water hydraulics.

With a history of more than 200 years, hydraulic technology is currently in a period of transition as modern information and communication technologies and electronics are embedded into traditional hydraulics and automation. Interaction and cooperation between research and industry is particularly important at this time. SICFP provides a significant international forum for this cooperation. The aim of the 10th anniversary conference in 2007 is to anticipate the period of transition by expanding the conference themes beyond traditional hydraulics.

The application of new technologies brings intelligence to hydraulics, an example being mobile work machines able to wirelessly and autonomously carry out various, even complex, tasks. Intelligence can also be utilized in machine diagnostics to assist self-maintenance. In mobile work machines, for example, intelligence makes it possible to apply methods already familiar from robotics. With top multi-technological expertise, new products can be developed for new areas of application and the productivity of existing applications improved.

The conference organizer is the Tampere University of Technology (TUT) Institute of Hydraulics and Automation (IHA). A social programme will also be arranged for delegates and accompanying guests, and the conference's anniversary will be celebrated at a Gala Weekend during the weekend prior to the conference, 19-20 May. More details of the programme and a list of speakers will be published in September.

SICFP'07 homepage www.iha.tut.fi/sicfp07
E-mail: sicfp07@tut.fi

Further information:
Conference Vice Chairman, Professor Kari T. Koskinen
Tel. +358 (0)3 3115 2177, +358 (0)400 634 242, kari.t.koskinen(at)tut.fi
Conference Manager, Researcher Jani Vilenius
Tel. +358 (0)3 3115 2898, +358 (0)40 596 7797, jani.m.vilenius(at)tut.fi
Conference Secretary, Secretary Virpi Multanen
Tel. +358 (0)3 3115 2264, +358 (0)40 849 0241, virpi.multanen(at)tut.fi

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