Industrie 4.0 is an umbrella brand grouping together sensor manufacturers, automation companies, robotics builders, software producers and users. The term gave rise to a new enthusiasm for automation and thus also for the digitization of industrial processes – inspiring many young people to sign on at industrial enterprises as a result.

The promises were great. But what about the goals – has everything been achieved? Definitely not. Criticism of the term “Industrie 4.0” also comes from the fact that it was highly politically charged and that at the beginning, every component was to be made “intelligent” while often failing to pay off, and that productivity failed to skyrocket.

In the early years, people tried to emulate Silicon Valley corporations. The fever of digitization was contagious. In the meantime, people are considering their own strengths and, of all things, the tech corporations have increasingly sought contact with German SMEs and Industrie 4.0. Companies are reaping the initial benefits of those years and will be showcasing this at HANNOVER MESSE.

The “administration shell” was, and is, a showcase project, providing a standardized description of components that many exhibitors at HANNOVER MESSE are now building on in order to offer their customers added value. The administration shell is closely linked to the topic of the “digital twin”. On the first day of the show, industry representatives will discuss the “standardized digital twin for a sustainable industry”. This digital twin is also a crucial element for Lenze on its NUPANO platform, as machine and plant builders want to tap into new sources of revenue. The pressure on them is growing, because they need to differentiate themselves through additional digital offerings. However, they often lack the appropriate resources and the necessary expertise to get the job done. Lenze’s NUPANO Open Automation Platform is designed to help, offering a space for digital innovations at machine and plant level and creating access to new business models – without any prior IT (information technology) knowledge required on the part of the user. In doing so, this exhibitor from the German state of Lower Saxony is relying upon open, proven IT architectures and technologies to build a bridge from operational technology (OT) to the IT universe.

HANNOVER MESSE is the perfect showcase for Industrie 4.0. It’s still all about connected machines, sensors, data, information and new business models, but also about a new way of thinking in industry: Companies need to be present on platforms and need to develop and operate their own platforms. Automation companies need to collaborate with customers, but also need to think in open source (ROS2 in robotics), develop products jointly, involve young companies and new industries such as the gaming industry (gaming engines in robotics), learn from one another, work together in new constellations (“coopetition”) and earn money with other business cases (subscription). This is not always easy, and Industrie 4.0 thus also becomes a cultural and educational issue.

Festo Didactic, for example, offers comprehensive training and qualification programs for Industrie 4.0 with its CP Factory – the universal Industrie 4.0 research and learning platform. Festo CTO Ansgar Kriwet recently emphasized at an internal event that digitization is a major learning topic. At the same time, he gave a preview of future products. Put simply: The company will be offering a multipurpose hardware as a software-defined product packed with AI.

Kunbus proves that open source and industry can go together with its hardware based on a Raspberry Pi. The S and SE series represent a further development of the Revolution Pi’s basic modules RevPi Core, RevPi Connect and RevPi Flat. Equipped with the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 S, the modules now feature the powerful 4-core Broadcom BCM2711 Arm Cortex-A72 processor.

But what’s next? Some people are already talking about Industry 5.0, but the SmartFactory from Kaiserslautern, Germany, certainly has a realistic view of tomorrow’s manufacturing. With their Production Level 4 demonstrator landscape, the makers appear to be a step ahead of the ManufacturingX initiative. Many ManufacturingX ideas have already been implemented in the SmartFactory-KL, as this Rhineland-Palatinate-based company confidently announced in the run-up to the tradeshow. In Hannover, everyone learns from each other. “Coopetition” is just what the doctor ordered.

From 17 to 21 April 2023 at HANNOVER MESSE, leading international companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, energy, and software and IT sectors show how far they have come on the road to resource-efficient, climate-neutral and resilient production. Under the lead theme “Industrial Transformation – Making the Difference”, exhibitors show how the industry can significantly reduce CO2 emissions. 

Hannover. The big challenges facing the world today – such as climate change, energy shortages and disrupted supply chains – all have one thing in common: they demand innovative, high-tech solutions. At HANNOVER MESSE, the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology, leading companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, energy, and software and IT sectors demonstrate an industrial ecosystem that enables changes in the way we manufacture, collaborate and do business.

“With the lead theme ‘Industrial Transformation – Making the Difference’, HANNOVER MESSE 2023 shows the difference that exhibiting companies can make, which changes they can carry out, and which innovations they develop on the road to a climate-neutral industry,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board, Deutsche Messe AG. “This is a call to action for corporations, SMEs, and startups as well as science, politics, and society. They must work together to secure our industrial production, prosperity, and future as well as to protect our environment – HANNOVER MESSE shows the way to a climate-neutral industry.”

HANNOVER MESSE 2023 hosts more than 4,000 exhibiting companies from all over the world, including global enterprises such as Autodesk, Bosch, Capgemini, Dassault Systemes, Microsoft, NOKIA, Salzgitter, ServiceNow, Schneider Electric, and Siemens as well as leading SMEs like  Aerzener Maschinenfabrik, Beckhoff, Block Transformatoren, Boge, GP Joule, Festo, Formlabs, gbo Datacomp, GFOS, Harting, ifm, Kaeser, LAPP, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, SEW, Wago, WIBU, and Ziehl-Abegg. Well-known research institutes such as Fraunhofer and Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) sketch industrial solutions for the future and more than 300 startups from various technology fields show innovations with disruptive potential.

HANNOVER MESSE 2023 features seven display sectors: Automation, Motion & Drives, Digital Ecosystems, Energy Solutions, Engineered Parts & Solutions, Future Hub, Compressed Air & Vacuum, and Global Business & Markets. Exhibitor show solutions in areas such as CO₂-neutral production, Industrie 4.0, artificial intelligence, IT security, Logistics 4.0, circular economy, and hydrogen and fuel cells.

Whether digitalizing complex production processes, using hydrogen to operate entire production facilities or employing software to analyze and reduce the C0₂ footprint, exhibitors at HANNOVER MESSE provide a complete picture of the technological possibilities for the industry of today and tomorrow.

Indonesia, the largest economic power in the ASEAN region, is Partner Country at HANNOVER MESSE 2023. With the motto “Making Indonesia 4.0”, Indonesia aims to be one of the ten largest economies in the world by 2030. Renewable energies are expected to account for roughly 52 percent of total electricity generation by then, whereby hydropower will make up just under one half and photovoltaics about one quarter. At HANNOVER MESSE, Indonesia presents itself as a reliable partner for companies around the globe.

This year’s HERMES AWARD winner is German company SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG. The HERMES AWARD is one of the world’s most prestigious industrial technology awards, and SCHUNK a global leader in innovative gripping systems.

This year’s HERMES AWARD winner is German company SCHUNK GmbH & Co. KG. The HERMES AWARD is one of the world’s most prestigious industrial technology awards, and SCHUNK a global leader in innovative gripping systems. SCHUNK is both an owner-operated German family business and a global player. The award was presented during the HANNOVER MESSE Opening Ceremony on 23 April by Germany’s Minister for Education and Research, Johanna Wanka.

“The company’s award-winning solution supports human-robot collaboration, making it a vital part of the smart factory tool kit. It is therefore a perfect fit for HANNOVER MESSE, which this year will once again play a key role in reflecting and driving the ongoing development of Industry 4.0,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler as the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member in charge of HANNOVER MESSE.

SCHUNK’s JL1 co-act gripper is an intelligent modular gripping system for human-robot collaboration that is capable of directly interacting and communicating with its human operator. The JL1’s integrated sensor systems effectively envelop the module in its own safety “bubble” by continually tracking the proximity of humans and triggering evasive action to avoid any direct human-machine contact. They also enable the module to grip, handle and assemble objects of all geometries. The module’s jaws are able to measure gripping force and have tactile sensors, so their operation is highly adaptive and responsive. The sensor constellation also includes two cameras that enable the gripper to see its surroundings in 3D and help it to detect workpieces.

These are just some of the reasons why the JL1 impressed the HERMES AWARD jury, which was headed by Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster, CEO of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). SCHUNK’s self-learning gripping system is ideally suited to highly flexible Industry 4.0 manufacturing environments where humans and robots work collaboratively at close quarters.

“Safe and barrier-free human-robot collaboration in Industry 4.0 manufacturing operations with small production runs, high component diversity and frequent retooling is only possible if every part of the manufacturing system is intelligent, right down to the end effector level. SCHUNK’s JL1 is a perfect example of a state-of-the-art, smart end effector, which is why the jury has chosen it as this year’s winning entry,” explained Dr. Wahlster.

Apart from SCHUNK, the following companies were nominated for this year’s HERMES AWARD: AGS-Verfahrenstechnik GmbH (Stade, Germany), Augumenta (Oulu, Finland), Linz Center of Mechatronics (Linz, Austria) and Noonee AG (Zurich, Switzerland). The winning and nominated products and processes are on display at the respective company stands throughout HANNOVER MESSE 2017 (24 to 28 April). In addition, detailed information on the winning all the nominated entries and companies is available at the “tech transfer – Gateway2Innovation” showcase in Hall 2. The winning and nominated entries and companies will also be honored at a special presentation given at the “tech transfer – Gateway2Innovation” showcase by Germany’s Minister for Education and Research, Johanna Wanka, and Dr. Wahlster on Monday, 24 April (11:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.).

Industry 4.0 is increasingly blurring the lines between the various sectors of industry, while innovation cycles continue to get shorter. These are trends that manufacturers around the world cannot afford to ignore, no matter how large or small. HANNOVER MESSE, too, is adapting to this new reality. Up to now, transmission and fluid power technologies have been featured at the fair on a biennial basis. “But the marketplace has changed,” reports Deutsche Messe Managing Board member Dr. Jochen Köckler. “In the digital age, new products are reaching the market stage much more quickly, with the result that companies want to showcase them at shorter intervals. That’s why we’ve decided to feature transmission and fluid power technologies annually from 2018 on,” he explains.

As of next year, Deutsche Messe, the organizer of HANNOVER MESSE, will merge the event’s annual Industrial Automation (IA) fair with the biennial Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA). The new, combined flagship tradeshow will be called Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives (IAMD) and will feature the full range of industrial automation, transmission and fluid power solutions.

“From a technology standpoint, the Industrial Automation and MDA shows have been converging for a number of years now,” Köckler remarks. “This merger reflects the reality of today’s market environment, which increasingly favors cross-sector and cross-platform solutions as well as digitally integrated products. It also further bolsters HANNOVER MESSE’s position as the world’s number one Industry 4.0 tradeshow. Like no other fair, HANNOVER MESSE showcases complete Industry 4.0 solutions – everything from smart components to cloud-based data management, not just the individual building blocks.”

Merger driven by leading companies and major industry associations
The merger culminating in the new IAMD show comes at the express wish and initiative of leading HANNOVER MESSE exhibitors and major German industry associations. “Transmission and fluid power systems play a key role in engine performance,” comments Christian Kienzle, Chairman of the Fluid Power Association within VDMA (the German Engineering Federation) and CEO of the Argo-Hytos Group. “With digitalization, these systems have now also become important data sources. Two years are an eternity in the age of digitalization. That’s why it’s important that we have the opportunity to put our latest solutions in front of customers without undue delay,” he adds.

“The automation industry’s sensor, control and networking products, systems and solutions are the ‘enablers’ of the fourth industrial revolution. And by bringing them together with electronic and mechanical drive systems under the Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives umbrella, Deutsche Messe has created a flagship fair that covers the entire factory shop floor and shows how it can be integrated into the Industry 4.0 environment,” remarks Dr. Gunther Kegel, the head of German industry association ZVEI’s measurement technology and process automation division and Managing Director of Pepperl + Fuchs GmbH.

The new IAMD show comprises production, process and energy automation systems; robotics; industrial IT; hardware and services; production technologies and services; transmission and fluid power components and systems; pneumatic and hydraulic systems; plain and rolling bearings; geared motors; linear technology; and sealing technology. A comprehensive, topical program of supporting events, including the Industry 4.0 Forum and the Predictive Maintenance special display, will further boost the show’s innovation credentials.

CeMAT: Biggest pool of transmission and fluid power buyers
Another big plus for transmission and fluid power exhibitors at IAMD will be the show’s co-location with the CeMAT intralogistics fair at HANNOVER MESSE 2018. CeMAT, which features mobile machines such as truck-mounted cranes, forklift trucks, and driverless transport systems plus many other intralogistics 4.0 solutions, attracts a large and fast-growing buyer group that is also a key target market for transmission and fluid power technology providers.

IAMD to build worldwide presence
Deutsche Messe plans to roll out the IAMD brand to key markets around the globe. This will open up further opportunities for companies wishing to export to emerging and fast-growing economies with an enhanced need for automation solutions, such as China. Deutsche Messe’s existing offshoot tradeshows in China, Canada, the US and Turkey will be successively restructured and rebranded in line with the parent event in Germany. The company also has plans to establish IAMD shows in other key markets.

As the preparation for the most awaited exhibition Hannover Messe 2017 is on full swing, tell us about this edition of the show (number of participants, country participating, area covered, etc.)?
We expect a completely booked exhibition center – roughly 400,000 square meters of display area – with 6,500 exhibiting companies from 70 countries and more than 200,000 visitors from 80 countries.

What are the new things visitors/exhibitors will observe during this edition of Hannover Messe 2017
HANNOVER MESSE covers all important industrial topics, from digitalization, new energy systems and lightweight design to technology transfer, startups and workforce development. Our trend topics include Industrie 4.0, Integrated Energy, smart materials and coatings, predictive maintenance, cobots, energy efficiency, and digital twin. Plus, HANNOVER MESSE hosts more than 80 conferences and forums that address topics ranging from the Industrial Internet and digital transformation to cybersecurity and smart grids. No other event in the world provides such a complete picture of global industry.

Theme for this edition is ‘Integrated Industry – Creating Value’, tell us more about integrated industry and Industrie 4.0.
Integrated Industry/Industrie 4.0 is transforming manufacturing. Industrie 4.0 adds value not only with better facilities and machinery, but also by enabling new lines of business, increasing employee productivity, and improving customer satisfaction. Exhibitors at HANNOVER MESSE also show how digitalization transforms energy systems, presenting visitors with the full range of products for conventional energy generation, transmission, distribution, and storage as well as new solutions such as smart grids, virtual power plants, renewables, and alternative mobility solutions.

This year’s partner country is Poland. Tell us more about it, like the trade relation between Germany and Poland and how important Poland is for the German manufacturers?
Germany is Poland’s biggest bilateral trading partner and numerous German companies produce in Poland. Partner Country Poland brings together companies, business people and politicians from Germany and Poland to further strengthen economic and scientific cooperation between the two countries. Poland has demonstrated stable long-term growth and is currently promoting re-industrialization, innovation and expansion into foreign markets. Polish exhibitors meet potential customers from all over the world at HANNOVER MESSE and Polish visitors find the technologies they need to modernize their factories.

How many companies are participating at Hannover Messe 2017 from Poland?
Roughly 150 Polish companies will exhibit at HANNOVER MESSE 2017.

What would be the number of country pavilions in the show?
Thirty-two countries sponsor or organize pavilions will be at HANNOVER MESSE this year.

How many participants have registered from India and how do you plan to attract more Indian visitors?Currently 160 companies from India have registered to exhibit at HANNOVER MESSE 2017, which is a 16% increase over last year. We hosted 3,200 visitors from India in 2016 and we expect a similar number this year. India currently represents the fourth biggest visitor country at HANNOVER MESSE. As far as promoting the fair in India, we maintain a subsidiary in Mumbai that manages that.

How can this event help Indian companies enhance their business in European market and vice versa?
India was the Partner Country at HANNOVER MESSE 2015. India used the opportunity to introduce the ‘Make in India’ initiative to the world. More than 400 Indian companies displayed their goods and services at the show and succeeded in positioning India as an up-and-coming industrial nation. India was able to attract significant foreign investment and also strengthen its partnerships in Europe. So that is an example of how HANNOVER MESSE helps Indian companies.

What’s the role of Hannover Messe in the German industry? Over the period how has it helped the German companies in business?
HANNOVER MESSE is the number one annual showcase for Germany’s industrial companies and the best place for them to meet buyers from all over the world. But it is also global industry’s most important platform for business and politics, with one third of visitors and more than half of exhibitors coming from abroad. HANNOVER MESSE attracts business leaders and politicians who want to see how automation, digitalization and integration are transforming manufacturing and energy systems. It is the only event in the world that presents the entire value chain of industrial technology, from product idea all the way to finished product. In 2016, about five-and-a-half million business contacts were generated at the fair.

Any message for the visitors around the world…
Mark April 24 to 28 in your calendar, book your accommodations and flight, and we look forward to seeing you at Hannover!

Robots that are as simple to operate as smartphones. Machines that learn from their mistakes. Energy systems that are digitally integrated and controlled. And all of it totally human-centered. That’s Industry 4.0. HANNOVER MESSE 2017 highlights the added value that is unleashed when factories and energy systems go digital.

HANNOVER MESSE 2017 opens in about ten weeks’ time. The show, which runs from 24 to 28 April, will sport a rich array of highlights, including a record 500-plus Industry 4.0 applications, self-learning robots with near-human touch sensitivity, and advanced technology solutions for a more sustainable energy future. “The technologies needed for the successful digitalization of industrial production are fully developed and ready to go,” commented Deutsche Messe Managing Board member Jochen Köckler.” “The task now is to ensure that decision makers from industry and the energy sector understand the direct, long-term benefits that digitalization can offer them and their organizations, business models and employees,” he added. “Challenging people to ‘think outside the box,’ highlighting all the various ways in which digitalization can add value, and opening up new markets – that’s what this year’s HANNOVER MESSE is all about, with its lead theme of Integrated Industry – Creating Value .” The show will have around 6,500 exhibitors and feature Poland as its official Partner Country .

With Industry 4.0, integrated energy , digital twins, machine learning, predictive maintenance , smart materials, and networked and collaborative robots (cobots), companies of all sizes today have a multitude of high-tech solutions to choose from. But often they find it difficult to predict what value these sorts of solutions might add. Which is where HANNOVER MESSE 2017 comes in. Köckler: “The world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology will present solutions for all parts of the industrial landscape. It’s a landscape in which mechanical engineering and IT are converging. This is digitalization, and HANNOVER MESSE will show visitors how to recognize its benefits and make them their own.”

Predictive maintenance through machine learning

Digitalized production processes generate vast quantities of data which are then analyzed by various upstream and downstream systems. In the not-too-distant future, manufacturing systems will incorporate machine-learning technologies that analyze this data centrally and feed the results back to the production machines in question, thereby enabling them to learn and self-optimize. As such, machine learning is fundamental to predictive maintenance – a highly promising aspect of Industry 4.0 that will feature prominently at the upcoming HANNOVER MESSE.

Putting people first

However, despite the ongoing and rapid spread of digitalization, people will always be absolutely critical to success in industry. Industry 4.0 technologies will help make factory workers’ duties more interesting and varied. Instead of focusing on repetitive manual tasks, factory employees will increasingly be called upon to solve problems, make decisions, innovate and drive value-adding initiatives. But this will not happen in a vacuum. Manufacturers need to invest in upskilling and education measures to prepare their workforces for Workplace 4.0. “In tomorrow’s agile, flexible factories, employees will be experts in the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, smart glasses and tablets. All of these exiting new digital factory tools will feature prominently at HANNOVER MESSE 2017,” Köckler explained.

Cobots – the intuitive usability of a smartphone

Prominence will also be given to collaborative robots. Today’s cobots , as they are known, are as simple to operate as a smartphone. Moreover, they are self-learning and connected to the cloud. As time goes on, they are getting cleverer and cheaper to buy, making them a cost-effective gateway to the benefits of Industry 4.0, particularly for smaller companies. Much like drones today, cobots will eventually develop into a mass market that will give rise to a wealth of totally new business ideas.

Digitalization as a driver of new business models

Integrated Industry will reach far beyond the walls of smart factories. The goods produced by smart factories will stay connected with their manufacturers throughout their service lives, supplying a constant stream of valuable data. This data will enable the manufacturers to develop additional web-based services and to pursue new business opportunities outside the confines of their traditional industries. At the upcoming HANNOVER MESSE, industrial subcontractors will demonstrate how digitalization helps them to offer innovative and highly customized solutions more quickly than ever before. “The biggest value-adding potential of digitalization lies in the development of completely new business models and in the markets these business models tap into,” explained Köckler. “HANNOVER MESSE is increasingly turning into a platform for previously unheard-of partnerships. For instance, partnerships between IT companies and engineering firms, or between startups and major corporations. From radical, highly disruptive new business ideas to proven 4.0 business models – it will all be there this April.”

Technologies for the energy transition

Digitalization is also transforming the energy industry. Without digitalization, it will not be possible to make the switch from today’s outmoded centralized power plants to modern, highly efficient energy systems that are based on renewables and distributed generation structures. Under the “Integrated Energy” banner at the upcoming HANNOVER MESSE, the world’s leading providers will highlight the changes the energy industry will undergo as well as the individual technologies that will play a critical role in this transformation. “HANNOVER MESSE will showcase integrated solutions all along the energy value chain – from generation, transmission, distribution and storage, right through to alternative mobility solutions,” explained Köckler.

Poland: a strong partner in Europe

Innovation and growth – two key areas in which Poland is set to shine as the official Partner Country at HANNOVER MESSE 2017. This April at the world’s leading trade for industrial technology, Poland will be stepping out on stage in front of an international audience to make its case as an attractive partner in a large and diverse range of industries. Apart from domestic reindustrialization, the country’s main economic focus is on opening up foreign markets and supporting innovative Polish companies. Around 150 of these companies will feature at this year’s HANNOVER MESSE. Together, they will mount a Partner Country showcase that will center on the themes of energy and IT. HANNOVER MESSE 2017 will be officially opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.

Köckler: “In light of the current geopolitical situation, Poland’s participation as Partner Country sends an important signal about the strength of the European Community. HANNOVER MESSE turns 60 this year. Now, more than at any other time in its history, it is a platform for free and fair trade – both in Europe and around the world.”

At this year’s event in Hanover, IBG / Goeke Technology Group will present their entirely new strategic focus in Hall 17, Booth E18: from now on, our customers and their challenges will be the very focus of our joint projects.

In accordance with the new mission statement I5 {ai five} – Initiative, Inspiration, Innovation and Integration = IBG, IBG “will treat the impossible, as if it was possible,” to meet the complex requirements of Industry 4.0. To achieve this, IBG takes the Initiative and develops new technologies in robotics and plant engineering for its customers. The team is a source of Inspiration for the optimisation of its customers’ production processes. It thus improves both quality and efficiency; it is a pioneer and driver of Innovation. The IBG employees’ actions and thinking revolve around our customers with solutions promoting Integration.

This is clearly demonstrated by the integrated solutions presented by IBG / Goeke Technology Group at this year’s Hanover Fair. The solutions from the segments Industry 4.0, assembly technology and automation are tailored exactly to the customers’ requirements. Our 250 employees see to this and thus enable the respective specialist team to make the impossible possible.

At the tradeshow, the company will illustrate Predictive Maintenance with a presentation on proactive maintenance combined with simultaneous monitoring of entire systems—a contribution which turns Industry 4.0 into more than just a vision: it becomes a reality which simplifies both service and maintenance.

Vision technology helps the IBG team to tackle more complex challenges: optical methods based on 3D measuring technology facilitate the measure and capture of three-dimensional geometries without touching the objects. In quality control, it helps to confirm that all geometric measurements are correct and ensures the completeness and quality of the assembly process.

Under the headline Moving Technology, visitors to our stand can look forward to surprising exhibits which demonstrate the particular use of automation technology for marketing and communication.

Under the motto “Hello Industrie 4.0_we connect you”, KUKA unites automation and digitization expertise at this year’s Hannover Messe. The Augsburg-based automation specialist has developed its “smart factory” further – and is now opening the next chapter in Industrie 4.0.

Highly customized products and a transparent, digitally networked manufacturing process which can be enhanced by human operators and innovative KUKA products: In the further developed “smart factory” at the 2017 Hannover Messe, all of the expertise of the Augsburg-based automation specialist comes together in one system. This enables flexible, fast and intelligent production which visitors can interact with on site.

“Mass Customization” – the inexpensive manufacture of customized “batch
sizes of 1” in automated production – is thus becoming a reality: From the settings in the system to the various networked production steps (including the associated intralogistics) through to the delivery of the product. Through this intelligent interaction of machines, mobile systems, software and robots, human operators hold the reins in their hands. Thanks to cloud-based communication, various end devices, such as the smartphone, can be used to comfortably track and influence the progress.

Behind this central “smart factory”, the largest networked trade fair application in the history of KUKA, there lies an intelligent interplay between various companies of the Bavarian automation specialist: Robotic and system expertise from Systems, Industries and Robotics as well as production logistics from the Swisslog subsidiary. Add to this the IT and software expertise of various associates parties. In this way, KUKA supports customers from the idea through to the finished factory.

Innovative partners for new business models
From 24 to 28 April in Hanover, KUKA offers insights into new areas – customized products and services for customers which even stretch beyond KUKA’s core business area. KUKA also has innovative partners to create a comprehensive ecosystem for customers in which flexible Industrie 4.0 solutions become a reality. You can thus easily gain an overview of your entire production process and also network and control it. Here, KUKA brings its experience to help customers, partners and start-ups to jointly create something new.

Connyun, a KUKA start-up company for cloud technology, will introduce itself directly at the KUKA booth in Hall 17 in the “Industrial Automation” area. Roboception – a young Munich-based company that develops 3D-perception for robot systems and an enterprise in which KUKA holds a stake – will also be represented directly at the KUKA booth.

The scientific competition for young talents: The KUKA Innovation Award
Whether an airbag system for human-robot collaboration, robot use for human rescue and new automation solutions for finishing processes or the mounting of heavy parts: this year’s finalists for the Innovation Award 2017 will presenting their applications on the topic of “Advanced Mechatronics” at Hannover Messe.

Directly at the KUKA booth, the teams of young researchers from all over the world present their concepts, which they have implemented in a few months using KUKA products. Finally, an international jury of experts selects the winner of the scientific competition and the 20,000 euro prize, and the champion is crowned directly at the KUKA booth.

Entering the world of Industry 4.0 is now fast and easy thanks to a standardized and flexible digital infrastructure from Schaeffler. With components equipped with sensors, application-specific solutions, and cloud-based services, manufacturers and operators of machines and equipment can use and apply the Internet of Things in practice. At the 2017 Hannover Messe, Schaeffler will be presenting ways of integrating new components equipped with sensors into overall systems and specific business models.

HANOVER/SCHWEINFURT, February 09, 2017. Schaeffler’s Smart Ecosystem 4.0 offers a comprehensive, cloud-based hardware and software infrastructure that includes every stage of digital added value – from components equipped with sensors through to digital services. The flexible architecture of this system gives manufacturers and operators of machines and equipment a simple and application-oriented point of entry into Schaeffler’s range of digital services that can be expanded at any time. The rolling bearing, its mechatronic derivatives, and the corresponding domain expertise provide the central source of information in this field.

Components equipped with sensors are central to the drive systems used in machines and equipment – they record data and are the fundamental “enablers” for these digital services. Schaeffler’s aim is to continuously transform conventional mechanical products and integrate them into the digital world. Bearings and guidance systems equipped with sensors have already been on the market for several years. At the 2017 Hannover Messe, Schaeffler will be presenting a rolling bearing system that is based on standard products and can be configured in a modular fashion with various different sensors, which allows virtually every desired bearing position to be equipped with sensors: The FAG VarioSense. This represents an important step towards a future in which not only complex systems but also simple assemblies and machines will have easy access to digitalization and the Internet of Things.

The recorded data are transferred via a flexible Schaeffler gateway to the Schaeffler cloud, where Schaeffler’s rolling bearing domain expertise is made usable in the form of digital services. For example, automated rolling bearing diagnosis and remaining useful life calculation can be used to provide precise information on the condition of the bearing and thus of the machine being monitored, which in turn allows specific actions to be recommended. It will even be possible to use real load data to make adjustments to operational machine processes in real time.

Schaeffler’s cloud-capable FAG SmartCheck, which for the first time allows a simple and flexible point of entry into the digitalization of machines and equipment based on vibration monitoring, will also be on display at the 2017 Hannover Messe. This latest version of the FAG SmartCheck uses an MQTT interface to provide a direct link to the Schaeffler cloud or to any other platform based on IBM technology. It is also possible to communicate with other cloud technologies via a Schaeffler gateway or alternative gateway solutions using an OPC/UA interface. The connection between the SmartCheck and the Schaeffler cloud is remarkably easy to make via smartphone, e.g. by scanning the relevant product’s QR code or using the free app.

This gives the customer direct access to services such as Schaeffler’s automated rolling bearing diagnosis, which is based on the vibration data that the FAG SmartCheck has gathered from rolling bearings as well as shafts and other rotating components. Depending on his or her contract, the customer receives access to the condition data, partially-automated recommended actions or, in the case of more complex machines, a connection to the Schaeffler Service Center, which provides specific and individual recommended actions.

In the next stage, it will also be possible to use the SmartCheck to record speed and torque and to classify these load data. In the cloud, the Bearinx rolling bearing calculation tool is then used to compare the real load data with the fundamental load data used during the design phase, and the rolling bearing’s remaining useful life is then calculated on this basis. These applications will be available for all products based on the SmartCheck technology, including railway technology applications like those presented by Schaeffler at the 2016 InnoTrans.

The rolling bearing is ideally suited for gathering information, since it is located at the heart of the application’s flow of force and thus exposed to all of the loads that occur. Combining them with the domain expertise about rolling bearings in specific applications that is made available via the cloud allows this information to be used to control the process in a targeted manner in order to achieve the maximum degree of capacity utilization and optimize product quality. The prerequisite for this is a holistic and standardized infrastructure from the sensor through to the cloud, which Schaeffler now provides with its Smart Ecosystem 4.0.

At the Hannover Messe trade fair, Festo is showcasing three new Future Concepts for automation with superconductor

Superconductors are materials which below a certain temperature can store the field of a permanent magnet at a predefined distance. This effect enables objects to be held in position and manoeuvred without contact. The levitation gap remains stable even beyond walls. Thanks to their restoring forces the superconductive magnetic bearing components autonomously return to their memorized position even when one of them is temporarily removed – entirely without external control engineering

“The special characteristics of superconductors open up great potential for them wherever contact-free storage or handling is required. Automation can thus make inroads into areas of application that until now have been regarded as not or only hardly accessible to automation,” said Georg Berner, Head of Strategic Corporate Development, Group Holding Festo and Project Coordinator for the SupraMotion concepts. “We have now developed a total of 15 different concepts for four key areas of automation: transportation in any spatial orientation, transferring suspended objects between systems, manoeuvring objects at a distance, and exchanging suspended objects and setting them in motion. We are currently working together with customers on launching some initial pilot projects.”

At the Hannover Messe 2017 Festo will be presenting three new possible applications of SupraMotion:

SupraDrive: dynamic linear motion
The SupraDrive exhibit shows how a suspended transport sledge can operate highly dynamically and be precisely positioned. Three cryostats with superconductors mounted on each side of the course enable the sledge to hover a few millimetres above the surface. The movement and positioning are effected by the drive unit from the Multi-Carrier System of Festo, which is installed between the cryostats.

In addition to smooth acceleration and almost wear-free, dynamic movement, this concept has the advantage that all drive components can be enclosed in a casing. This greatly facilitates cleaning, without interruption to the transport process. Since the sledge is in levitation, it cannot be obstructed or soiled by dirt on the surface of the system. This makes for safe operation and a hygienic working environment. Furthermore, the sledge itself moves silently. The concept can be used in areas where components must be cleaned frequently or during operation, for example in laboratory automation, in medical engineering, or in the food, pharmaceutical and packaging industries.

SupraLoop: a combination of various transport systems
The combination of different transport systems with superconductor technology is demonstrated by the SupraLoop exhibit, which comprises three individual transport systems operating on a circuit: a classic conveyor belt, the Multi-Carrier System from Festo and Siemens, and a SupraMotion system.

Several carriers are transported by SupraLoop. Their magnetised undersides serve both for the magnetic coupling to the contactless drive unit of the Multi-Carrier System and for the levitation effect of the SupraMotion system. By means of a set of points, a carrier can be transferred from the conveyor belt to the cryostats with superconductors and then be coupled to them and transported in suspension – even beyond partitions and walls. A possible application would be to remove individual transport sledges from a process, in order to transfer them to a clean room without contact, or to treat objects carried by them with gases or liquids within an enclosed space.

SupraShaker: a suspended vibration system with tilting option
With SupraShaker, a plate is suspended above a cryostat with superconductors. An eccentric electric motor sets it in vibration via a magnetic coupling. Tilting in any desired direction is also possible thanks to transfer of a magnetic field. The levitation gap between the plate and the automation system ensures mechanical separation between the tool and the machine and prevents the vibrations from being transferred to the overall system. Shaking processes, as used with vibration conveyors, could be carried out much more quietly and efficiently with this type of apparatus. The plate can be very easily exchanged or cleaned; this would be an advantage especially in dusty environments.

All three exhibits are controlled by the CPX automation platform, which includes an OPC-UA interface.