Hannover Messe Preview: Glimpses of Industrial Intelligence
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
The annual Preview meet of the Hannover Messe is an occasion that offers glimpses of some of the new products and technologies that will be on display at the fair.
This year the Preview was held on January 24th. Around 35 companies had put up their table top presentations during the meet, offering a sneak peek at some of the technologies that would be on display as well as the general trends at the Hannover Fair, scheduled from April 1-5, 2019 at the Hannover Fair Grounds. Most of these exhibits reflected the lead theme of the fair this year – Industrial Intelligence.
The idea of Industrie 4.0 originated at the SmartFactoryKL in Germany with a handful of technology partners initially, the number swelling to around 50 subsequently. The focus at the exhibit stand of SmartFactoryKL, jointly with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), is on artificial intelligence (AI), an important factor in future production jobs. While AI is able to quickly and reliably evaluate large volumes of data and provide filtered, Augmented Reality (AR), has proven to be an efficient tool for visualising this information – in an easy-to-understand way. The partner consortium at SmartFactoryKL will demonstrate how this is implemented using its Industrie 4.0 production plant at the main event.
PC-based automation specialist Beckhoff will be exhibiting several new technologies, but the most exciting will be the XPlanar transport system with free-floating movers with six degrees of freedom for jerk-free movement and without contact at up to 4 m/s over planar tiles arranged in an arbitrary layout. Travelling magnetic fields provide for exact and highly dynamic positioning – offering maximum flexibility in positioning and optimum machine and plant design. “The movers can be used not only horizontally, but also vertically and even upside down,” explains Uwe Prüßmeier, Product Manager – Fieldbus Systems, Beckhoff Automation. The XPlanar is available in four sizes ranging from size 95 x 95 mm for payloads of up to 0.4 kg, to 275 x 275 mm big mover for payloads of up to 6 kg.
Motion plastics and energy chains specialist igus will introduce Low Cost Automation with a new 4 to 5-axis "rohbot" (h for half-finished) made of plastic and a model of the online marketplace for suppliers and users. “This is especially suitable for small companies that want to use ready-made systems easily and, above all, very cost-effectively,” says Oliver Cyrus, Head of PR & Advertising, igus GmbH. Thanks to a modular kit principle, tailor-made lubrication-free and maintenance-free robotic systems can be assembled. Motors, gears, power electronics, control system, GUI – everything can be freely chosen. At the Hannover Messe 2019, igus is presenting the latest range of its articulated arm robots with the choice of a delta robot or a Cartesian robot.
Schunk, the company known for its clamping and gripping technology will show how AI is facilitating autonomous gripping. A robotic hand carefully grips a randomly assembled formation of colourful Lego blocks and then puts it down. The technology is extremely sophisticated – robots and handling systems able to identify and examine objects on their own and ultimately handle them autonomously. At the Hannover Messe, SCHUNK will be demonstrating the possibilities and opportunities that intelligent gripping system solutions offer the smart scenarios of Industrie 4.0 as well as how digitalisation and artificial intelligence enhance handling processes.
How can manufacturers increase efficiency with the help of artificial intelligence and robotics? That will be exactly what OMRON Automation proposes to demonstrate at Hannover Messe, where innovative interaction between human and machine is one of the key topics. Omron’s ‘innovative-Automation’ concept presents a holistic approach for the flexible production lines of the future. “The upgraded AI-equipped Forpheus table tennis tutor robot is an interactive representation of the company’s integrated technologies, from sensing and control to artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics,” elaborates Benjamin Papst, Regional Marketing Manager, Germany. OMRON will also display its new TM collaborative robot, born from the collaboration with Techman. The other exhibits include the new Sysmac AI controller with AI predictive maintenance library and a 3D automated X-Ray Inspection (AXI) with AI.
Festo, the leading automation company is known for its innovative bionic exhibits inspired by nature – ants, bats, spiders and even the elephant’s trunk. This time the company has designed a product based on a previous concept, developing the adaptive form gripper – DHEF. The silicone cap of the DHEF, inspired by the way the chameleon’s tongue grips insects, can fold itself over and grip objects of virtually any shape. This creates a firm, form-fitting hold. The elastic silicone enables the gripper to precisely adapt to a wide range of geometries. When combined with a pneumatic drive, the adaptive shape gripper requires little energy for a secure grip.
US-based CoorsTek, a leading global supplier of technical ceramics will showcase several new developments for ceramic semiconductor components, including new and unconventional shaping method for more complex semiconductor component features that enable customers to quickly adapt both their part design and production volumes according to the market needs. The company has also recently developed moulding methods allowing manufacturers to design parts with more complexity and additional features. Apart from this, CoorsTek, in collaboration with Deltapore will showcase benefits of the hollow ceramic membranes coolant filtration for the quality of machined parts. “We are thrilled to support the integrated industry with our application-specific ceramic semiconductor components delivering precise leading-edge processes and increasing throughput,” said Andreas Schneider, Executive Vice President, Europe.
Compressed air consumption is one of the measures of how automated a plant is and Kaeser Kompressoren is proudly celebrating its centenary in 2019. With smart and efficient compressed air solutions for every need, the company is set to display the entire range of its compressed air expertise at Hannover Messe, all aligned to the growing importance of Industrie 4.0. Smart engineering station simulations make it possible to see a fully operational compressed air station before it has even been built. Moreover, the new Sigma Smart Air shows how maintenance is carried out in the age of Industrie 4.0: with the comprehensive service package, Sigma Smart Air offers a combination of remote diagnosis and data-based, predictive maintenance that saves the user both time and money, while ensuring the availability of the compressed air supply. The basis of these forward-looking concepts is the Sigma Air Manager 4.0 in combination with the Sigma Network. The powerful, closed network and the intelligent controller are perfectly coordinated cornerstones of Kaeser's Industrie 4.0 package.
Captions
Pix0: The idea of Industrie 4.0 originated at the SmartFactoryKL.
Pix1: Uwe Prüßmeier explains the XPlanar.
Pix2: The latest igus range of its articulated arm robots.
Pix3: The Schunk gripping technology is extremely sophisticated.
Pix4: The Festo adaptive form gripper DHEF – inspired by the chameleon’s tongue.
Pix5: Andreas Schneider, Executive VP, Europe – CoorsTek, elaborates a point.
Pix6: The new Kaeser Sigma Smart Air.