Business View Magazine - July 2023

147 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 CONVEYOR EQUI PMENT MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIAT ION (OR CEMA) companies, pointed out how influential CEMA publications have been. “CEMA’s Belt Book has for decades been the go-to reference for bulk conveying worldwide,” said Abraham. “Now in its seventh edition and available in Spanish and Portuguese, along with English, its status is assured for years to come.” Many CEMA standards are ANSI (American National Standards Institute)-accredited, and all are systematically reviewed, revised and re- certified, ensuring they continue to represent the current collective knowledge base of the conveyor industry, according to Noel Bell, vice president and general manager at Martin Sprocket and Gear and CEMA’s president in 2021. “Martin Sprocket and Gear has been a CEMA member for over 55 years, and we are steadfast in our position that we must remain active,” said Bell. “CEMA provides us with opportunities to help shape the design standards of tomorrow.” In addition to its design standards, CEMA has a comprehensive safety program, the components of which are likewise the gold standard for the industry. “Our safety program,” said Hoehn, “includes safety standards and best practices, safety labels and training videos and materials that help the whole industry––members and non- members––improve the most important aspect of our business: the safety of anyone working with material-handling systems.” Much of CEMA’s safety program is offered free as a service to the conveying industry, available on the Website: www.cemanet.org . “Some of this equipment can be dangerous,” Solis said. “This is an important part of what we do. In particular, our safety label program provides exceptional guidance in appropriate safety warnings, training and hazard avoidance.” Taking advantage of change “The conveying industry is not what it used to be,” said Solis. “Technology is really pushing that change.” Long gone are the days of Lucy and Ethel fighting to place chocolates into containers as they grappled with a conveyor belt that just got faster and faster. These days, conveyors are about a lot more than just belts, screws and the like. Sophisticated automation is playing an ever-greater role, as Solis pointed out. “Robotics, optics and automated vehicles,” he said, increasingly typify this ever-evolving industry. These topics and more like them are the subjects of deep discussion at CEMA’s four meetings a year. CEMA’s spring and September business meetings are opportunities for executives to connect and learn about the industry, the economy and the future of both.