EMO Hannover 2017 is scheduled to be held next year in Hannover, Germany, from September 18-23. "Under the slogan of `Connecting Systems for Intelligent Production', production engineering manufacturers from around the globe will present solutions which customers can implement to derive the maximum benefit from the digitization and integration of production," said Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW), the organizers of EMO.
As a leading machine tool trade show, EMO Hannover is characterized by its strong international makeup and the large number of innovations presented there. At EMO Hannover 2013, 2,131 exhibitors from 43 nations showcased their machines, solutions and services.
EMO Hannover provides a networking hub for the international metalworking community. Some 143,000 attendees made 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.
In Hannover exhibitors will encounter attendees who are characterized by their decision-making authority. "According to a recent visitor survey, 80% of visitors reported having an influence on procurement decisions at their companies, and exhibitors' expectations for brisk after-show business were correspondingly high," said an EMO spokesperson.
"EMO Hannover is seen as an innovations showcase for production engineering," said Schäfer. "Manufacturers frequently gear their new developments to the EMO timeframe so they can unveil them to an international audience. "This is why numerous trends have been launched at EMO - for example, flexible manufacturing concepts, high-speed machining and the use of linear drives, to name a few. In 2013, 45% of exhibitors stated that they had brought new developments to EMO."
Intelligent Production Requires Many Connections
EMO's producers expect EMO Hannover 2017 to generate key ideas for realizing the widely discussed Industry 4.0. The EMO motto "Connecting Systems for Intelligent Production" points to this. "We have already been implementing digitalization in our machine tools for a long time," said Schäfer. "Digital mapping of 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 customer calls 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 time clock. 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 Requirements Provide the Foundation for New Technology
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," said an EMO spokesperson. Before it can actually be applied in the production environment, the vast amount of machine condition measuring and sensor data needs to 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 to more 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 traditional condition 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.
This 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 initial steps to resolve a problem can be handled by people who have not been specially trained for the task.
Best-Practice Examples for Small and Medium-Sized Shops
Despite all recent advances, small and medium-sized enterprises find it particularly difficult to implement a fully automated, connected smart factory. It is 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. Many of these 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 software systems that 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 complete organization of production using real-time data
- Communication environments for the transparent, independent, open and simultaneously secure sharing of data along the entire value chain
- Apps for individually configurable control systems designed for enhanced operability and expanded connectivity, and much more.
Special Industry 4.0 Display
At EMO Hannover 2017 a special Industry 4.0 display will be staged by the German-based Konradin Publishing Group. The Industry 4.0 Area has been planned as a 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.
Additive Manufacturing Processes
A current survey by VDW reveals that, although Additive Manufacturing (AM) 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 already employed in various industries such as medical technology, automotive manufacturing, aviation and aerospace and mechanical engineering, where the first mass-produced products made using additive processes are already available.
"As a production process, AM 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," reports Schäfer.
For more information contact:
EMO Hannover 2017
www.emo-hannover.de