PRESS RELEASE
FromSylke Becker
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EMO Hannover 2017: Leading forum forproduction engineeringtrends
Chicago, 15 September 2016.2017 is an EMO year. Following a four-year hiatus, the world’s leading metalworking trade fair will be back next year in Hannover, Germany. “Under the slogan of ‘Connecting systems for intelligent production’,production engineering manufacturers from around the globe will presentsolutions which customers canimplement to derive the maximum benefit from the digitization and integration of production,”statedDr. WilfriedSchäfer,Executive Director of the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association (VDW), the organizers of EMO,at a press conference on 15 Septemberin Chicago.At the same time, he continued, the new solutions werenaturally aimed at improving the global competitiveness of machine tool providers.
As the world’s leading machine tool trade fair, EMO Hannover is characterized by its strong international makeup and the large number of innovations presented there. With2,131 exhibitors from 43 nations showcasing their machines, solutions and servicesat the most recent event in 2013, virtually all nations that have machine tool manufacturingare represented at EMO.
EMO Hannover is the key networking hub for the international metalworking community. This can be seenin the event’s attendance figures, with some 143,000 trade visitors making the trip to EMO from more than 110 countries in 2013. The percentage of visitors traveling to Hannover from abroad was 42 percent, with 1,100 guests coming from the United States alone.No other production engineering event has a higher rate of foreign attendance.
In Hannover exhibitors will exclusively encounter trade visitors who are characterized by their highcaliber and decision-making authority. According to the most recent visitor survey, 80 percent of visitors reported having an influence on procurement decisions at their companies, and exhibitors’ expectations for brisk after-show business were correspondingly high. And the fourth quarter of 2013 did indeed bring a turnaround: After a decline in international orders for seven quarters in a row, orders bounced back with an increase of six percent. “We consider this to be anotherexample of the kind of impact EMO has,” commented VDW Executive Director Schäfer.
EMO Hannover is seen as an innovations showcase for production engineering. Manufacturers frequently gear their new developments to the EMO timeframe so they can unveil them to an international audience of specialists. “This is why numerous successful trends have been launched at EMO – for example, flexible manufacturing concepts, high-speed machining and the use of linear drives, to name just some,” said Schäfer. In 2013, 45 percent of exhibitors stated that they had brought new developments to the trade fair.
Intelligent production enjoyscountless connections
EMO’s producers expect EMO Hannover 2017to generate key ideas for realizing the widely discussed idea of Industry 4.0. Das EMO-Motto“Connecting systems for intelligent production” already points to this. “We have already been implementing digitalization in our machine tools for a long time,” reported Schäfer, adding: “Digital mappingof things like simulation has likewise been possible for a long time.” The concept of Industry 4.0 includes the integration of production or even the entire value chain.
A fully connected production line is the prerequisite for flexible production based on the use of optimized processes, allowing manufacturers to take on even short-term, small-batch orders. If, for example, a customercalls on Friday with an order for 50 pump casings needed by Monday, the manufacturer can query the readiness of individual machines. Digitalized shift plans indicate that worker X has signed off for the weekend via app, while worker Y is available for that time period: Staff planning works via smartphones instead of a timeclock.During the production process, the machines continuously report their precursor material stock levels. These materials can be identified and located at any time – for example via RFID – to be fed into the production process.
The full integration of the entire production line with real-time communications and control systems brings the greatest added value for companies, when they implement horizontal communications from the order intake to shipping of the finished product. Within the value chain it is also important to connect not just with suppliers, but also with logistics partners and customers in order to achieve the highest possible degree of productivity, flexibility and efficiency. Suppliers find out in real-time when they need to deliver new supplies. The forwarders are at the shipping gates at just the right time to pick up the finished products. And the customer knows exactly when he can plan in the pump casings for his own assembly process.
Traditional requirementsprovide the foundation for new offerings
Despite all the focus on digital topics, the traditional requirements for machine tools and production systems are equally vital. Mechanical robustness, secure machine control systems and intelligent process design and control remain the bedrock of quality, productivity and cost-efficient manufacturing. The new options presented by digitalization can also be tied in to these aspects to optimize processes and increase availability and output.
That is where Big Data – currently one of the industry’s hottest topics – comes into the picture.Before it canactually be applied in the production environment, the vast amount ofmachine condition measuring and sensor data needsto be liberated from its “data grave”. Signal analyses of large quantities of data help operators to recognize impending breakdowns – for example, of main spindles or feed screws – even earlier than was previously the case, making it possible tomore precisely predict the moment when the necessary maintenance needs to be performed. These new approaches to predictive maintenance based on the use of adaptive algorithms represent a big step beyond the traditionalcondition monitoring of individual machines. The condition of all machines in a production system is logged, centrally monitored on a continuous basis and the necessary measures initiated on the basis of real-time condition data.
Taken as a whole, the above gives rise to completely new options for maintenance or servicing operations. Augmented reality is taking the place of the traditional maintenance manual. A service technician uses his smartphone or tablet as an orientation aid, while a software system recognizes the machine area in which the technician is working. Online communication with the machine’s control system makes it easier to find the relevant fault. Superimposed step-by-step repair instructions replace time-consuming product workshops at customer premises. And the initialsteps to resolve a problem can even be handled by people who have not been specially trained for the task.
EMO Hannovershowcases best-practice examples for SMEs
Despite all recent advances, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) find it particularly difficult to implement a fully automated, connected smart factory. It is doubtless more realistic for them to take a series of smaller steps on the road to Industry 4.0. Numerous small-scale innovations are available which can create added value for machine users and boost the competitiveness of the machine manufacturer as well.
A large number of these clever solutions will be showcased at EMO Hannover, including the following:
- New methods for intelligent tool management, featuring the direct transfer of tool data to the machine, thus streamlining work scheduling
- Feedback of online measuring data to ensure adaptive, optimum process control in tool grinding
- Sensor and softwaresystemsthat facilitate easier, control-independent machine monitoring – from individual components to an entire factory.
- Approaches to managing data transfer and data security
- Assistance systems for increasing productivity through the cooperative connection of machines and ERP systems
- Business platforms for the holistic organization of production using
real-time data - Apps for individually configurable control systems designed for enhanced operability and expanded connectivity, and much more
Inventiveness in the production environment is at an all-time high, andEMO Hannover 2017 will produce myriad new ideas on how to apply the relevant solutions.
Special Industry 4.0 display
The mega-topic of connectedness is also being highlighted at EMO Hannover 2017at thespecial Industry 4.0 display being staged by the German-basedKonradinPublishing Group.TheIndustry 4.0 Area is positioning itself asa platform for specialist networking within the international community, building a bridge between research and practice. University institutes engaged in production research and development will present their latest projects and findings, supported by examples of practical implementation in industry.
The special display will also include international initiativeslike the German “Industrie 4.0” platform, the Industrial Internet Consortium from the U.S., the Alliance Industrie du Futurfrom France, Made in China 2025, the IndustrialValueChainInitiative from Japanand more. These initiatives are currently compiling their programs and are on the lookout for additional potential partners. The German “Industrie 4.0”platform, for example, has already enlisted the support of American, French, Chinese and Japanese partners. The special display is rounded out by a speakers forum where high-caliber researchers will present their latest findings and companies can showcase their own competence in the field.
Growing importance of additive production processes
But Industry 4.0 is not the only hot topic among international production specialists:Additive Manufacturing (AM)has also become the talk of the town. A current survey by VDW reveals that, although 3-D printing still plays a minor role in today’s production environment, it is growing exponentially – and experts expect this trend to continue over the coming years. The technology is alreadyemployed in various industries, above all in medical technology, automotive manufacturing, aviation and aerospace and mechanical engineering, where the first mass-produced products madeusing additive processes are already available.
“This makes it a good idea to pay attention to this new production technology and keep track of the advances made, industry by industry,” commented the VDW Executive Director. EMO Hannover 2017 will provide insights into the latest developments inadditive manufacturing and communicate to visitors those applications which are particularly conducive to the implementation of AM. “As a production process, additive manufacturing meshes well with other key components of the value chain – above all with CAD and simulation, finishing, production measuring technology and quality assurance. Apart from pure AM systems, hybrid machines are also becoming available. Many traditional machine manufacturers are already active in the field and are integrating the process in their machines.This is a highly interesting solutions approach for several user industries,” reports Schäfer.
Based on the restricted resolution of AM processes, most of the additively produced components require finishing work to meet the high requirements on surfaces. The demand for finishing machines is expected to increase commensurately, according to the VDW survey.
India Day at EMO Hannover 2017
EMO Hannover will put the spotlight not only on technical trends, but also on especially interesting markets. India, for example, is the only BRIC nation which can boast of significant growth in industrial production and investment. In the machine tool industry, India is No. 8 among the world’s biggest markets, with a volume of 1.6 billion euros in 2015 – an increase of seven percent year on year. The country imports its machine tools almost exclusively, totaling some 1.1 billion euros in 2015. This is why EMO will again be featuring this interesting market and its high degree of potential.
The “India Day” forum will feature presentations offered exclusively by Indian specialists, including representatives of the country’s machine tool association IATMA. Representatives of Indian user industries will highlight business and technology trends from the automotive and aviation industries. The forum will also examine the new requirements for production engineering in India. Companies interested in establishing a local sales or production branch can moreover collect information on staff training options as well ason strategies for finding and retaining the right personnel.
EMO Hannover 2017 – the world’s premier trade fair for the metalworking sector
From 18 to 23 September 2017, international manufacturers of production technology will be spotlighting “Connecting Systems for Intelligent Production” at EMO Hannover 2017. The world’s premier trade fair for the metalworking industry will be showcasing the entire bandwidth of the sophisticated metalworking technology which is at the heart of every industrial manufacturing process. The fair will be presenting the latest machinery as well as efficient solutions, corollary services, means of achieving sustainability in production processes and much, much more. The principal focus of EMO Hannover is on metal-cutting and forming machine tools, production systems, high-precision tools, automated material flows, computer technology, industrial electronics and accessories. The trade visitors to EMO come from every major branch of industry, e.g. machinery and plant manufacturing, the automotive industry and its component suppliers, the aerospace sector, precision mechanics and optics, shipbuilding, medical technology, tool and die manufacturing, steel and lightweight construction. EMO Hannover is the most important international meeting point for production technology specialists from around the world. EMO Hannover 2013 featured a lineup of over 2,130 exhibitors and attracted some 143,000 trade visitors from more than 100 different countries. EMO is a registered trademark of the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries (CECIMO).
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