At HANNOVER MESSE 2018, Mexico will be honored as the show’s official Partner Country. A formal agreement for Mexico’s Partner Country participation was signed today at this year’s show by representatives of Deutsche Messe and the Mexican government. Industry 4.0, energy and environmental technologies, vocational training, startups and direct foreign investment are among the themes that will feature prominently in Mexico’s 2018 showcase. Mexico is the first Latin American nation to ever present itself as a Partner Country of HANNOVER MESSE.

The agreement giving the official green light for Mexico’s 2018 Partner Country participation was signed by Deutsche Messe’s Managing Board member Dr. Jochen Köckler and ProMéxico CEO Paulo Carreño in the presence of Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. ProMéxico is the Mexican government’s international trade and investment promotion agency. “Mexico will now be the star attraction on the international industrial stage for an entire year,” remarked Köckler. “This is a win-win partnership for everyone and will do much to grow and improve economic relations between Mexico and Europe,” he added.

Currently, almost 80 percent of Mexico’s foreign trade is with countries in the North American economic zone.  Mexico is currently also seeking to negotiate a new, reformed free trade agreement with the European Union aimed at expanding trans-Atlantic trade and investment. Against this background, the Partner Country participation at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 is an excellent opportunity for Mexico to present its new technologies, investment opportunities, innovative growth strategies and research projects to the shakers and movers of the global industrial scene.

Over the years, Mexico has steadily grown in importance as a market and investment location for companies in many European countries, including Germany. More and more German subcontractors are establishing a presence in Mexico in order to service its growing manufacturing industry. At the same time, the country’s energy market liberalization strategy is opening up exciting opportunities for German investors. Moreover, Mexico is by far the biggest country of destination for German exports to Latin America.

Mexico has a population of 120 million, making it the world’s most populous Spanish-speaking country. It is an OECD member, the world’s 15th-largest economy and generally seen as an advanced emerging market and a developed country. Mexico is the world’s 13th largest exporting nation and its 12th largest importing nation. It is also a major exporter of oil and producer of automobiles. The country is in fact the world’s fourth largest exporter in the automotive sector.

Mexico is Latin America’s second-largest economy, achieving a GDP of USD 1,043 billion in 2016 – an increase of 2.3 percent on 2015. The country’s GDP comes primarily from the services sector, industry and commerce and in 2016 amounted to about USD 8,623 per capita.

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and KUKA AG today announced they will work together around Industrie 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to promote the flexibility and automation of production processes.

Both companies want to collaborate, particularly in the areas of manufacturing, mechanical engineering and the automotive sector. The announcement was made at Hannover Messe, which takes place from April 24 to 28 in Hanover, Germany.

The integration of KUKA robots into SAP’s digital manufacturing showcase at Hannover Messe is driven by comprehensive standard protocols, such as OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA). In addition, KUKA and SAP plan to provide KUKA robot applications based on the SAP Leonardo IoT platform. KUKA robots will be integrated into SAP Cloud Platform, helping companies evaluate predictive maintenance scenarios and monitor factory floors. KUKA also plans to use selected SAP technology components as part of its own connyun IoT platform.

Through the SAP Leonardo portfolio, SAP has introduced a variety of solutions to support Industry 4.0 and IIoT. KUKA’s expertise in intelligent automation solutions complements these solutions. In addition, selected SAP technology and business components will enhance KUKA’s start-up platform connyun, with a focus on midsize machine construction.

“By seamlessly integrating automation solutions from KUKA and selected solutions from our SAP Leonardo IT platform and SAP Connected Manufacturing software, we can make a significant contribution to driving closer the integration of top floor and shop floor in manufacturing,” said Dr. Tanja Rueckert, executive vice president, IoT and Digital Supply Chain business unit, SAP. “This enables customers to build a high level of customer satisfaction and support them on their way to the digital transformation.

“We are committed to a twofold strategy: we are tying the KUKA robots on SAP Cloud Platform and the SAP Leonardo IoT platform. At the same time, the connyun Industry 4.0 platform of our start-up company of the same name will be supplemented with SAP technology components and SAP business applications. In this way, we can optimally adjust all customer requirements and support our customers in their digital transformation.”

The combination of expertise in machines, connectivity and production processes, together with expertise from SAP around Big Data analytics, business applications and the operation of large global infrastructures, creates an ideal landscape for this partnership. The collaboration between KUKA and SAP brings added value to the customer, especially for midsize machine builders.

Angela Merkel visited the SCHUNK pavilion at Hannover Messe and learned about the future of smart production

SCHUNK, the competence leader for gripping systems and clamping technology of Lauffen, Germany started off the Hannover Messe with a brilliant success: At the opening of the world’s leading trade show by Germany’s Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, Prof. Dr. Johanna Wanka presented the innovative family-owned company with the Hermes Award 2017, one of the world’s most prestigious technology prizes. On her tour of the exhibition on Monday, Chancellor Merkel visited the SCHUNK booth, and looked on while the Managing Partner/CEO of the family-owned company, Henrik A. Schunk, presented smart gripping modules that enable direct human/robot collaboration (HRC). With its HRC grippers of the SCHUNK Co-act series the Swabian technology forge has made an important contribution to production systems of the future.

The company received the Hermes Award for the SCHUNK JL1 Co-act Gripper, the world’s first intelligent gripping module for human/robot collaboration that directly interacts and communicates with humans. Henrik A. Schunk sees the award as a milestone in the history of the group of companies: “My team and I are proud of the success of the SCHUNK JL1 Co-act Gripper, which is a decisive step on the way to highly flexible handling scenarios for Industry 4.0 and therefore for smart production.” For the first time in the history of the Hermes Award, the prestigious trophy was awarded for a gripping module. The award was given at the recommendation of an independent jury headed by Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Wolfgang Wahlster, Chairman of the Management Board of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). In 2015, SCHUNK had made it among the top five for the Hermes Award, and therefore was at the leading edge of technological innovation, back then with SCHUNK eGRIP, a web-based 3D design tool for additively manufactured gripper fingers.

Intelligent robot gripper

In recent years, the leading supplier of technology for robots and production machines has been driving the digitalization of industrial production with its smart components. Within the world’s most comprehensive spectrum of gripping systems and clamping technology with more than 11,000 standard components, the SCHUNK JL1 Co-act Gripper defines the peak of what is technologically possible. The HRC gripper, developed with the guiding principle of Industry 4.0 in mind, features a decentralized control architecture, which was designed according to the RAMI 4.0 guidelines. Like no other gripping module it uses its exposed position “closest to the part” and “closest to the human” to achieve maximum efficiency and functionality in human/robot collaboration. Complex sensor systems and artificial decentralized intelligence, which are fully integrated in the gripper, allow it to constantly gather information about the component being gripped and about the environment, to process this information and to execute appropriate responses based on the specific situation. For this purpose, the gripper is equipped with innovative kinematics, which enable both parallel and angular gripping. This allows maximum flexibility in the handling of alternating component variants. Tactile sensors in the fingers monitor the gripping process to ensure reliability and adapt the gripping parameters independently to prevent damage to sensitive components. Specially developed gripping strategies allow the sensitive gripper to adapt its behavior in real time, depending on whether a workpiece or possibly a human hand is gripped.

Safety aura for collaboration with humans

The intelligent gripping module paves the way for highly flexible HRC scenarios in modern production processes. Compared to existing solutions the SCHUNK Co-act Gripper is designed for much higher diversity and flexibility. The integrated safety aura allows unlimited use and handling capabilities of the robot in the direct vicinity of humans. Separating safety devices are unnecessary. All situational, environmental and operating conditions are monitored by means of several “senses”. An integrated miniature PC immediately analyzes process data in order to respond virtually in real time and also as a basis for self-learning. The gripper enables automation of tasks that previously were performed manually, therefore boosting efficiency. At the same time, the inline data acquired from the production cycle and derived information can be sent continuously to higher level systems for constant improvement or control of the processes.

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.

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.

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.

The family enterprise Festo follows a hybrid strategy

The globalised markets are placing two key requirements on the manufacturing companies: greater speed in all entrepreneurial processes on the one hand, and a broader range of individual options for the end consumer on the other. Digitalisation offers the necessary key technologies to meet these requirements. Information and communication technologies are merging with classical industrial mechanics to yield cyber-physical systems. Product development and production processes must undergo significant changes

The consumers’ needs for individual design of their products is currently giving rise to entirely new product worlds. Digitalisation is opening up interactive spaces for encounter between customers and manufacturers. The high speed of software development is a driving force in hardware development for machinery and plant construction. In parallel with this, cost-efficiently manufactured and rapidly available mass-produced goods are needed to cater to the quickly growing world population. The automotive producers must find ways of fulfilling both of these requirements. Dealing with this complexity and the increased speed of developments are a great challenge.

Dr. Ansgar Kriwet, Member of the Management Board Sales at Festo AG & Co. KG, commented at the Preview to the Hannover Messe trade fair: “We have very carefully examined and analysed our standing as a leading supplier of automation solutions for factory and process automation. We must on the one hand further develop our existing structures, products and processes, but on the other hand we also need completely new technologies, products and solutions.”

Digitalisation is a mammoth task
Supplying the steadily growing world population with the necessary goods can only be ensured by a highly automated production world. The needs of the consumers in the global markets differ very strongly in accordance with their state of development. The markets require constantly increasing speed. Dr. Kriwet: “Digitalisation will accelerate processes within Festo, so that we can help our customers more rapidly. Digitally extended products from Festo accelerate our customers’ processes – from the machinery design process right down to service.”

Besides the mass production of goods, a trend has developed towards more and more individually adaptable products, which places heavy demands on the flexibility of production environments. The end consumers want to design and configure products for themselves – beginning with the car, through wearables such as watches or glasses, and up to the personalised dispensing of medicines and to self-designed pasta. This is all made possible by digitalisation.

The family enterprise Festo, with over 18,000 employees and around 300,000 customers worldwide and an overall range of more than 33,000 products, is advancing its own transformation process in two directions of impact:

Evolution of the standard products
The core product range for high-quantity series production is still important. Success can only be achieved together with the customers. Dr. Kriwet said in this regard, “Reduced manufacturing costs and the preservation of resources are innovations that generate lasting added value.” Festo is therefore focusing its innovative power firstly on the development of new products for the more rapid, simplified manufacture of bulk goods; secondly, Festo is advancing digital penetration within the company in order to benefit from the advantages of Industry 4.0.

For Festo, evolution also means using investments in the infrastructure to secure lasting added value in a high-wage country such as Germany. The company has established one of the world’s most modern production lines at the Technology Plant in Scharnhausen near Stuttgart. Thanks to its modular structure, this facility is optimally prepared both for fully automated high-volume production and for highly flexible production in small batches. Festo manufactures its own products in its own factories with Festo products. The company thus knows exactly how its products perform in everyday use.

For all these developments, the human nevertheless remains at the centre of attention. Robots are used wherever they can relieve the burden on the human operator and can form collaborative teams. The employees can acquire the new skills required for the production of the future in an integrated learning factory and at training stations.

Revolutionary products for the future
However, the leap into the future cannot be achieved by evolution alone. In order to survive, fundamental new concepts must be introduced in the product range. Festo has therefore also asked itself what revolutionary new products must look like. How can largely mechanical products be transferred to intelligent cyber-physical systems? How can we boost our productivity and accelerate the supply chain? What additional benefits and what added-value models will these new products offer our customers in future? How can new tasks be assigned to machinery in the course of regular operation? How can the operator communicate with them better and make them even more versatile? In the laboratories, products are currently being developed which are fit for applications that we can perhaps not even imagine today. Festo relies here on agile, interdisciplinary teams comprising both hardware and software developers who are for example revolutionising mature technologies such as pneumatics with entirely new capabilities.

Nature is a source of inspiration: Festo makes systematic use of the Bionic Learning Network to transfer new technologies such as swarm intelligence, communication capability and autonomy to new technological systems in the form of prototypes.

Digitalisation of the customer interface
The manner of cooperation with customers is also rapidly changing. Along with the classic sales channels, customers are increasingly using the company’s online product catalogue to immerse themselves into the virtual world. Festo speaks here of the “digital customer journey”. This catalogue shows in digital form all of the contact points – from the engineering process with CAD tools, via product selection, configuration, virtual initialisation, up to monitoring over the entire product life cycle.

“Digitalisation enables our customers to design, simulate and operate their production systems as a virtual twin. They thus already know in advance whether the modules of their systems will work together as desired. The complexity of flexible, adaptive production is made controllable through integrated intelligence,” said Dr. Kriwet in Hanover. The data acquired during operation of the systems open up completely new insights into the processes and machinery conditions.

Cloud applications process the resource data into valuable information in real time. Anticipatory maintenance reduces the risk of machine downtime and production losses. Surveillance of temperature curves, compressed air consumption, wear data or mixing ratios, and locating leakages are just some examples of the possibilities now open to operators. A “machinery memory” of the processes is generated that provides the basis for optimal configuration and parametrisation.

Hanover is the ideal showcase
The Hannover Messe trade fair is the ideal venue for Festo to present its latest innovations: here, tried-and-tested solutions encounter astoundingly new applications. Festo sees itself as both a traditional family enterprise and a pioneer of digitalisation. The market will ultimately be the deciding factor. “This year, we have a special highlight in store for visitors to the fair. We are convinced that we will be taking not only ourselves, but also our customers along on a journey into a new era of digitalised pneumatics,” promised Dr. Kriwet. Festo will reveal details of this innovation at its Online Press Conference on 27th March.