Few, if any, exhibitors would risk going to HANNOVER MESSE 2017 without any new developments or innovations. The digital revolution has gathered such a pace that solutions of the past won’t be able to meet the needs of the future for much longer. One company – Schweinfurt-based Schaeffler AG – is going to particularly great lengths in this area. Besides updated products and new business models, it is exhibiting an end-to-end digital system in Hannover under the banner "Schaeffler Smart Ecosystem 4.0". The new system incorporates all the company’s current and future digital services, models and sensor-based products.

Schaeffler is looking to show everyone at HANNOVER MESSE the great strides that have already been made with "Smart Ecosystem 4.0" and implementing the digital agenda. "When working with this ecosystem, users can see the status of their plants at a glance," says Dr. Hans-Willi Kessler, head of Service Products at Schaeffler. He explains that automatic diagnostics mean users don’t need any specialist expertise in condition monitoring, while the premium service also offers users recommendations on what actions they should take. "Automated rolling bearing diagnosis", which is already available as the company exhibits in Hannover, is one of the first systems to generate information that can be offered as services.