Global hub for all things Industry 4.0 and more

16 June, 2017

 From sensors to platforms

Previously, sensors were often viewed as the main technology item connecting up different machines. However, this year's event put platform solutions to the fore. Concretely, this refers to cloud-based network connections for the entire production operations, including data collection and analysis. "The trend towards the ‘digital twin' concept in the production environment is opening up entirely new vistas for industry," said Köckler. If testing can be carried out in virtual reality – for example, to see whether a new production line is going to work out – this makes it possible to bring products onto the market faster, at lower cost.

SMEs gearing up for digitalisation

Some studies warn that SMEs are not ready for digitalisation. "Hannover Messe 2017 has told a different story," said Köckler, pointing to the numerous component supplier companies exhibiting at Hannover Messe. "These companies are now digitalising their processes and establishing connectivity with their partners, because they know that their customers – from the automotive industry, for example – expect the end-to-end digital tracking of each and every part every component."

 Exhibitor taster

Just a few examples of the types of cutting-edge solutions on display at this year’s event include the following:

Aerzen

Aerzen now offers a wider range of process air stages by introducing the large blower series Alpha Blower. Due to 104 model variants, this series is claimed to provide a high degree of flexibility for numerous customer applications.

Aerzen large blowers are positive displacement blowers which can be applied virtually anywhere, convincing users worldwide by their quality, reliability and performance. These blowers reach volume flows of up to 77,000 m³/h at a maximum overpressure of 1000 mbar and a maximum negative pressure of -800 mbar. This blower series is said to be ideal for demanding ranges and applications. The blowers are used for the production of gases and oxygen or in the cement, foodstuff and chemical industry for pneumatic conveyance of bulk material. With Aerzen’s Alpha Blower, the company comments that it wants to raise the proven concept to a new level of efficiency and flexibility.

Customers can select from a range of two and three-lobe rotors, as well as horizontal and vertical conveying directions, depending on the field of application and installation site. This increases the variety of models of Alpha Blower to a total of 104 variants.

www.aerzen.com

Aventics

Among its key solutions focuses at this year’s show, Aventics explained how intelligent pneumatics can anticipate system maintenance. For this, Aventics used sensors and the new Smart Pneumatics Monitor – the company’s first IoT device.

Under the motto ‘Smart Pneumatics: The Driver for Predictive Maintenance’, Aventics showcased an application example; the monitoring of shock absorber functions and cylinder speeds based on an electro-pneumatic valve system. The existing sensors in the system are monitored along with the control. The data is analysed with the AV/AES series valve systems and the Smart Pneumatics Monitor. Monitoring the load allows the system to determine the current state of the shock absorber and detect wear early on. The information is then provided to the user in standardised data logs, such as the OPC-UA.