Hannover Messe – Industrie 4.0 at Work
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
With the lead theme of Industrial Intelligence, the 2019 edition of Hannover Messe witnessed a large number of live demonstrations of Industrie 4.0 at work.
When the world’s leading tradeshow for industrial technology opened for visitors on the morning of 1st April, more than 6,000 exhibiting companies spread across the 27 halls were ready to welcome visitors to the annual industrial technology fair, the world’s largest. The inaugural ceremony held on the previous evening was graced by Dr Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden, among other dignitaries. The highlight of the evening was a dazzling performance by a ‘special guest’ – ABB’s IRB 6620 industrial robot – in tandem with Swedish dance sensation Fredrik Benke Rydman, effectively demonstrating how humans and robots can collaborate creatively. Partner Country Sweden’s technology prowess was obviously on display, an important trade and technology partner of the host country.
In her speech German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel said that the EU needs to become more competitive in next-generation industrial technologies. “I'm not entirely sure if we have the foundation necessary for us to compete globally,” she said. “Europeans need to act together and find a common position,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Swedish PM Stefan Löfven said, “There’s only one thing we know about future: it will be different. It’s not change that is dangerous – it’s standing still that is dangerous.”
With the lead theme of Industrial Intelligence, the 2019 edition of Hannover Messe witnessed a large number of live demonstrations of Industrie 4.0 at work. Artificial intelligence in industry and robotics, the potential of the new 5G mobile communications standard for industrial applications, lightweight design, and the future of work in a time of increasing digitalisation were this year’s most important topics at the world’s leading tradeshow for industrial technology.
Industrie 4.0 at work
During the Opening Tour, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer explained how a production cell would work in the factory of the future, where robots will collaborate with humans. They were shown how iconic, two-armed YuMi® robots together with single-armed YuMi® put together wristwatches individually with unparalleled precision, using the revolutionary versatile transport system from ABB’s newly formed Robotics & Discrete Automation business. Chancellor Merkel and Swedish PM Löfven showed high interest in the factory of the future. “The future of production will be smarter, more flexible and closer to the customer,” said Spiesshofer. “We bring together electrification, automation, robotics and digitalisation to create solutions for tomorrow. Even today, ABB is uniquely combining human and machine with its robotic and automation solutions to open up new opportunities.”
Sensor specialist SICK AG of Germany, exhibiting under the banner of ‘4.0 NOW’, showed visitors exactly how production and logistics can be effectively networked – and how data transparency makes it possible to harness opportunities to add value in real time. The ability to network and control machines and processes using information and communication technologies is set to drastically change production processes as we know them. SICK live streamed at its booth the 4.0 NOW Factory at the Freiburg site, demonstrating how robots and employees are working side by side to produce the new SICK sensors with twelve fully automated production technology modules, four manual workstations, and a hybrid workstation at their disposal.
Well, all these robots are not just deployed on the shop floor. Freed from their safety cages and now working side by side with their human counterparts, robots are now also preparing to enter households to run chores. At the stand of motion plastics specialist igus, the main focus of interest was cost-effective ‘robotics made in Germany’. The service robot arm which was on display could soon be drying the dishes and laying the table. “When she returns to private life, we would like the chancellor to have the same service that she had during her time in office. This will give her more time for other things such as writing books on politics or science,” said igus CEO Frank Blase. “In one or two years, such a robot will be ready for mass production and will then be affordable.” igus is using Hannover Messe to start talking to customers from the world of household appliances. Service robotics is an important issue of the future for this branch of industry. “In at least two years, the kitchen robot must be able to do Dr Merkel’s housework,” added Blase.
Not to be left behind, the BMW Group and Microsoft announced the launch of Open Manufacturing Platform (OMP). Its role as an open technology platform is to drive the development of smart factory solutions shared by the OMP community in the automotive and manufacturing industries. The aim of the initiative is to accelerate future industrial IoT developments to increase production efficiency. The OMP is based on the Microsoft Azure Industrial IoT Cloud Platform and is the result of a long-standing technologypartnership between the BMW Group and Microsoft. It provides community members with a reference architecture of open source components based on open industry standards and open data models. The platform is RAMI4.0-compatible and uses, inter alia, the interoperability standard OPC UA.
Another technology major, the Bosch Group, also presented at Hannover Messe an autonomous transport system, visual fault detection using artificial intelligence, and 3D printing in conjunction with 5G. Thanks to 5G, communication between machines and systems runs smoothly and in near real time. Bosch is turning vision into reality. The group also announced that Industrie 4.0 has definitely become a part of the factory scene, where it is paying off: over the past four years, Bosch has made more than 1.5 billion euros with Industry 4.0 applications. As early as 2022, Bosch wants to generate annual sales of over a billion euros with Industry 4.0. “Industry 4.0 pays off. Digital and connected solutions are making factories more efficient, more flexible, and more productive,” said Bosch board of management member Rolf Najork, who oversees the business sector. 5G transmits data up to 100 times faster than the previous standard. Reliability has increased while data transmission delays have fallen to a minimum. “5G will be the central nervous system in the factory of the future,” predicts Andreas Müller, a Bosch researcher and chairman of the 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA).
A record breaking turnout
“Hannover Messe 2019 showed that it is the world’s most important platform for all technologies related to industrial transformation,” said Dr Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe. “More than 215,000 visitors used Hannover Messe to invest in new technologies and prepare their businesses for the future. Only Hannover provides the comprehensive look at application scenarios, the potential and the interaction of Industrie 4.0, artificial intelligence, 5G, and energy solutions.”
Roughly 6,500 exhibitors from around the world presented solutions for the future of manufacturing and energy supply, including more than 500 examples of the deployment of artificial intelligence in industrial manufacturing, 5G applications, and solutions for the energy and mobility transitions. Robotics was also a major draw for visitors. Leading robot manufacturers and robotics startups demonstrated real-world applications for all industry sectors. With 160 exhibiting companies, Partner Country Sweden stood out as a high-tech nation.
Nearly 40 per cent of the show’s 215,000 attendees came from abroad. “The record-breaking turnout underlines the international significance of Hannover Messe and shows Germany’s strength as an industrial location,” said Köckler. The top visitor countries after Germany were China (7,200), the Netherlands (5,900), Italy (3,400) and the USA (3,400). Partner Country Sweden contributed 2,600 visitors.
The show received high marks from participating exhibitors. “There are a few clouds on the horizon for the mechanical engineering industry right now, making the role of Hannover Messe all the more important as a continued beacon for industry and innovation. Mechanical engineers are at the vanguard of connected production environments, and the strong interest shown by visitors in machine-to-machine communication and the ‘global machine language’ OPC UA confirms that our members are at the forefront of developments. Another critical factor for integrated manufacturing is the ultrafast 5G mobile telecommunications standard, and this year’s Hannover Messe generated some real momentum in this area. The Industry 4.0 wave has been rolling for a few years, and this year’s fair revealed how far we have come since it all started,” commented Thilo Brodtmann, Executive Director of the German Engineering Federation.
Setting course for bright future
In an age of digital transformation, Hannover Messe is also evolving. Thanks to a strategic retooling, including a rebranding, new thematic approach and new physical layout of the showgrounds. Hannover Messe is preparing to underscore its role as the world’s leading industrial technology showcase.
Featuring seven main display categories, the updated format will set the stage for further growth in the core segments of industry, energy and logistics.
The next Hannover Messe will run from 20 to 24 April 2020, with Indonesia as the official Partner Country.
Captions
Pix1. Opening Ceremony, Show Act Sweden, Fredrik ‘Benke’ Rydman and ABB’s industrial robot, IRB 6620.
Pix2. Opening Tour – German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Swedish PM Stefan Löfven.
Pix3: Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives – demonstration at the ABB Stand.
Pix4: Exploring the potential of the new 5G mobile communications.
Pix5. SICK live streamed at its booth the 4.0 NOW Factory at the Freiburg site.
Pix6. The igus service robot arm could soon be drying the dishes and laying the table.
Pix7. The shop floor of the smart factory – at the SEW-Eurodrive Stand.
Pix8. Innovative subcontracting solutions and lightweight construction.
Pix9. Dr Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe.
Pix10. The media tour.