Metalworking News was recently invited to attend FEIMEC 2024 that took place in May in São Paulo, Brazil. FEIMEC – the International Machinery and Equipment Exhibition – exceeded all expectations and reaffirmed that Brazil’s machinery and equipment sector means business.
São Paulo – a city with more than 12 million residents in the heart of the city and an estimated 25 million beyond its inner-city boundaries – is Brazil’s industrial hub
Metalworking News’ visit was part of a greater project – the Image Project – one of a number of strategic moves to boost Brazil’s international visibility as a premier manufacturer and supplier of machinery and related equipment. It is an initiative of the BMS (Brazil Machinery Solutions) and ABIMAQ (Brazilian Machinery and Equipment Industry Association) in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and promoted and organised by Informa Markets Latam. This initiative highlights a concerted effort to showcase Brazil’s industrial capabilities to a global audience, fostering greater international trade and investment opportunities.
FEIMEC 2024, the fourth edition of the exhibition, attracted more than 65 000 visitors from all over the world, had more than 1 100 exhibitors from Brazil and 37 other countries and occupied more than
80 000m2 of exhibition space.
Manuel Niggli of Informa Exhibitions Brazil took invited journalists on a VIP tour of the exhibition, detailing its history, design layout and goals and objectives amongst other aspects. Image courtesy of FEIMEC
Patrícia Gomes, Executive Director of Foreign Markets at ABIMAQ, says: “The implementation of the FEIMEC Image Project has been evolving over the last few editions. The 2024 edition of FEIMEC shows the greater maturity of the fair and the machinery sector as a whole. The presence of journalists from specialised outlets from Mexico, South Africa and the United States reinforces the importance of the technology developed by our companies and the impact of our work, which seeks recognition for the sector across different countries.”
“I am pleased to say that FEIMEC 2024 was a great success. The event highlighted new innovations in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, with many exhibitors showcasing advanced technologies. The networking opportunities were valuable, fostering useful connections and collaborations. FEIMEC 2024 proved to be an essential platform for professionals from Brazil and abroad to stay current in this evolving landscape, becoming the most important trade fair in Brazil and Latin America for the sector,” added Gomes.
Executive President of ABIMAQ, José Velloso, delivers his opening remarks at the launch presentation on day one of FEIMEC 2024
Executive President of ABIMAQ, José Velloso, commented: “Brazil today has comparative advantages in several sectors and what gives these advantages are the machines and equipment. The country has always had a very strong machinery and equipment industry, being one of the main sectors of the manufacturing industry and one of the ones that exports the most. To give you an idea, in 2023, we exported US$14.5 billion worth of machinery. And the way to further improve the productivity and competitiveness of the industry is to modernise and here, at FEIMEC, it is possible to find Industry 4.0, equipment for automation, machine learning, machines ‘talking’ to machines, that is, all the latest cutting-edge technology used across various industries.”
The fourth edition of FEIMEC attracted more than 65 000 visitors from all over the world, had more than 1 100 exhibitors from Brazil and 37 other countries and occupied more than 80 000m2 of exhibition space. Image courtesy of FEIMEC
Velloso reiterated that the expectations for FEIMEC 2024 were fully achieved: “We are impressed by the speed with which the event has grown in just four editions. We started in 2016, with less than 20 000m2 of exhibition space, and today the event occupies 80 000m2. The exhibitors confirmed that they had made many sales of machines in these five days of the event and it was evident that many buyers waited to close their deals here, at FEIMEC, because here it is possible to see the competitors, the best technologies and make the best choices.”
A great amount of effort was put into the layout of the exhibition to allow the maximum amount of flow for visitors attending as well as exhibitors new and old. It was somewhere to see everything machining all in one place. Aside from being a traditional exhibition, FEIMEC includes in its offering aspects such as unique attractions, specialised cutting and welding islands, an entire space dedicated to logistics and their related challenges, an Industry 4.0 pavilion built by ABIMAQ and various partners that showcased how everything Industry 4.0 comes together, an Ideas Park where technical talks were delivered by industry experts, and a dedicated area for Startups. Students were taken through the exhibition en masse and Brazil is doing as much as it can to educate the younger generation about the industrial industry in general. The aim is to repair the blue-collar association long-held belief about industry.
Brazil has fully embraced the latest technology on offer in the machine and related equipment industries. Pictured are 3D printed components
The Industry 4.0 pavilion built by ABIMAQ and various partners showcased how everything Industry 4.0 comes together to create a smart manufacturing environment. It was a very popular feature for visitors
Invited journalists not only got to experience the hustle and bustle of São Paulo – a city with more than 12 million residents in the heart of the city and an estimated 25 million beyond its inner-city boundaries, and Brazil’s industrial hub – while attending FEIMEC 2024, but also got to experience the Brazilian culture and work ethic. A culture very similar to that of South Africa’s. Sometimes considered underdogs when compared to more industrialised nations, we both share a common background steeped in a deep history of manufacturing excellence and that is the will to do business and to find solutions to problems, all the while producing products to world-leading standards.
Visits to Brazilian member companies of the Image Project included Dosivac, Eletrothermo Calor Industrial, Ergomat Indústria e Comércio Ltda., HB Ar Comprimido, Porta Cabos, HenfelRingfeder and ROMI S.A. With the aim of highlighting the diversity of Brazilian industrial solutions, the success of the Image Project highlights the potential of Brazilian brands to compete in markets globally – some of which have already been doing so for decades.
An Ergomat A25 E automatic lathe – a unique cam controlled CNC lathe that due to its frequency driven servomotors instead of the conventional feed gear, allows for infinite combinations of spindle speed and production rates
All the latest technology was on display and this also included many well-known brands from around the world. Numerous live demonstrations allowed visitors to engage with the technology on offer as well as technical experts.
Tadeu Marcelino, Foreign Trade Manager at Ergomat, had the following to say about his impressions of FEIMEC 2024: “FEIMEC became a Brazilian traditional machine fair, this year we had a record number of exhibitors and visitors. The 2024 edition was very successful for Ergomat, after the lockdown this was the first show where we sold machines during the fair starting from the first day!”
“We also had the opportunity to present our machine updates and improvements and this is the key for Ergomat’s survival in this business for more than 60 years. That is the reason our company has worldwide acceptance, including in demanding markets like Europe.”
Numerous CNC machines were on show and operating at FEIMEC 2024 with a number of machining cells demonstrating the relationships between robots and machines
An entire space was dedicated to logistics and their related challenges. Image courtesy of FEIMEC
A great amount of effort was put into the layout of the exhibition to allow the maximum amount of flow for visitors attending as well as exhibitors new and old. Image courtesy of FEIMEC
A renaissance moment
There is no doubt that the Brazilians are eager to further improve their reputation and market share in the machinery and related equipment industry overall. Post-pandemic and after a period that has seen the nation endure some political instability, the enthusiasm from every single person Metalworking News spoke with was palpable. President of the Sectoral Chamber of Machine Tools of ABIMAQ, Rogério Bosco, explained that the sector’s resurgence needs strategies and policies to help it navigate fiscal and technological hurdles in Brazil and Latin America.
Over the past decade, the global machine tool market, including Brazil’s, has experienced profound changes. The political landscape, particularly during Dilma Rousseff’s administration, severely impacted the Brazilian economy, causing a dramatic drop in sales. However, a recovery began in 2019, and despite many factory closures, Brazil’s industry remains robust with key players such as Romi, Ergomat, and Nardini continuing production and maintaining their market presence.
Visitors were able to engage with experts and see many live demonstrations of the latest technology on offer
The Brazilian machine tool industry has embraced Industry 4.0 without hesitation. Pictured here is a quality inspection cell
Post-pandemic recovery in Brazil’s machine tool industry has been notably swift. This has been aided by the adoption of rapid advancements in new technologies, especially in connectivity and customer service, and these have created new business opportunities. The food, packaging, and healthcare industries have also contributed significantly to this industrial resurgence.
ABIMAQ, in collaboration with ApexBrasil, is addressing fiscal and production challenges in Latin America. Apex facilitates the participation of Brazilian companies in international fairs across countries like Peru, Colombia and Argentina, with this being subsidised by the federal government, to promote the Brazilian industry. Additionally, technical support is provided to prepare companies for doing business in foreign markets, covering information dissemination, contract assistance, website development, and product adaptation.
President of the Sectoral Chamber of Machine Tools of ABIMAQ, Rogério Bosco, explained that the sector’s resurgence needs strategies and policies to help it navigate fiscal and technological hurdles – goals they are slowly achieving. Thanks to recent tax reforms approved by Congress and sanctioned by the Brazilian President, new measures are set to substantially reduce the tax burden on the machine tool production chain thereby increasing Brazil’s global competitiveness
Recent tax reforms approved by Congress and sanctioned by the President are set to substantially reduce the tax burden on the machine tool production chain. This reform, which aims to eliminate nearly all existing production chain taxation, is expected to restore competitiveness for both local and international operations.
“Industry 4.0 has seen significant progress in Brazil, particularly in areas such as connectivity, hybrid maintenance, and energy efficiency. Government agencies like EMBRAPII and BNDES have introduced financing options to stimulate innovation in this area. The collection of extensive data from customers through Big Data analytics is enabling a better understanding of customer needs, allowing for more efficient and targeted service offerings,” said Bosco.
The Image Project represents just one arm of the approach Brazil is taking in its initiative to expand its presence in both the primary and secondary markets from an export point of view and Metalworking News is grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of this ongoing project. Brazil means business.
FEIMEC 2026 will take place from the 5th to the 9th of May 2026 at São Paulo Expo. For more information, please visit: https://www.feimec.com.br/en/home.html
About Brazil Machinery Solutions
The result of a partnership between the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) and the Brazilian Machinery and Equipment Industry Association (ABIMAQ), the Brazil Machinery Solutions Programme aims to promote Brazilian exports of machinery and equipment, as well as strengthening the image of Brazil as a manufacturer of mechanical capital goods with technology and competitiveness. The BMS Programme is composed of companies that manufacture machines and equipment from different sectors, such as agriculture, textiles, mining, plastics, and packaging, among others. For more information, please visit: www.brazilmachinery.com
About ABIMAQ
The Brazilian Machinery Builders’ Association (ABIMAQ) was founded in 1937, with the goal of acting in favour of strengthening the Brazilian industry, mobilising the sector, carrying out actions alongside political and economic bodies, stimulating international trade and cooperation, and contributing to improving its performance in terms of technology, human resources training, and management modernisation. For more information, please visit: www.abimaq.org.br
About Informa Markets
Informa Markets connects people and markets through digital solutions, specialised content, business fairs, hybrid events, and market intelligence, building a journey of relationships and business between companies and markets 365 days a year. Present in more than 30 countries, it has been operating in Latin America for over 27 years, and currently has three business units: Brazil, Mexico, and Latam Hub, responsible for delivering over 30 hybrid events, 70 digital events, news portals, and digital platforms for connection and business. To learn more, visit: www.informamarkets.com.br
