A model conveying the message
Continental has built a compact mock-up for HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to demonstrate its conveyor belt and sensor expertise, and also to highlight a new business model for conveyor belts in the future - leasing instead of buying.

Back on its home turf again, this year Continental AG is training the spotlight on all kinds of conveyor belt services for bulk goods and unit loads. The local technology expert has created a special mock-up for HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to demonstrate the latest market trends in belt monitoring and its smart full-service applications to existing and potential customers. Despite measuring only around one square meter, there’s no overlooking the star of the show at the Continental stand. Sensors monitor every movement of the belt and the transported material – inspecting the surfaces, reporting fill levels and flagging up any malfunctioning belts in real time. All this data is stored in databases and evaluated using algorithms to calculate when the belt next needs servicing.

"The surveillance systems enable us to monitor the safety-related properties of the belts. At the same time, this technology is paving the way for new business models such as pay-per-ton and predictive maintenance of components and systems," says Jens Koster, who is responsible for business development, financial services and digitization at Continental. Even now, customers can already go beyond buying a belt to compile a complete package of conveyor belts and services. The customer benefits are obvious, as this enables them to outsource system maintenance while improving system availability at the same time.
Continental AG (30165 Hannover, Germany), Hall 5, Stand E18
Contact: Jochen Vennemann
Tel.: +49 511 9381 8024
E-Mail: jochen.vennemann@contitech.de

The wise plan ahead for the future
Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates have launched a "Technology Innovation Pioneers" initiative (TIP) to promote the development of cutting-edge technologies and thus ready themselves for the post-oil era.

The UAE Ministry of Economy and the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi have launched an initiative called "Technology Innovation Pioneers" (TIP) as a catalyst for local technological innovation. TIP represents a true pan-entrepreneurial ecosystem, which will host an annual conference, awards and other events focusing on pioneers in technology and innovation. The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) is presenting a comprehensive showcase of the initiative at HANNOVER MESSE 2018.

The flagship TIP event will be an annual conference bringing together technological pioneers, healthcare innovators, representatives of future industries, the energy sector and environmental organizations. It will be hosted in Abu Dhabi by the Ministries of Economy and Health together with many other government agencies and private companies. Another TIP initiative is the Health Innovation Award, aimed at producing a range of innovative solutions to improve Abu Dhabi’s health sector and to tackle the latest medical challenges. Last but not least, the Takamul innovation program is geared toward assisting inventors and promoting innovations throughout the United Arab Emirates. The aim is to make the UAE one of the world's leading centers of innovation. To achieve this, the program will support entire innovation cycles – from sparking initial ideas right through to their commercial implementation - in the name of generating economic and social progress throughout the UAE. The beneficiaries of the scheme are inventive individuals and companies at different levels from a wide range of fields.
Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (P.O. Box 12, Abu Dhabi, UAE), Hall 2, Stand D11
Contact: Mariam Abdulrahman Musallam
Tel.: +971 28 158 885
E-Mail: mamalmarzooqi@ded.abudhabi.ae

Why wait and see when you can be one step ahead?
The software developer Aspen Technology is at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to showcase a comprehensive package of asset performance management solutions based on new technologies such as machine learning and predictive and prescriptive analytics.

Even more than the consumer-focused Internet of Things (IoT) - associated with devices such as coffee machines with their own IP - the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is likely to be the trailblazing force of the future. This explains its very high profile at HANNOVER MESSE 2018. The path toward this digital revolution is beset with enormous challenges, but the rewards that industrial companies stand to reap will undoubtedly be worth the effort - starting with system efficiency and reaching right through to profitability and competitiveness. Aspen Technology, a leading manufacturer in software for optimizing production processes, particularly in the energy and chemicals industries, is showcasing a comprehensive package of asset performance management solutions at HANNOVER MESSE 2018. Its focus is set firmly on new technologies such as machine learning and predictive and prescriptive analytics.

The company's new software package is equipped with three state-of-the-art modules. The Aspen Mtell module uses machine learning and failure agents to independently identify patterns within operating data and predict faults, outages and downtimes precisely and well ahead of time. The second module, Aspen Asset Analytics, analyzes the root cause of interruptions to processes, predicts future incidents and offers prescriptive guidance for avoiding trouble. The third, Aspen Fidelis Reliability, provides an end-to-end risk analysis for the entire system. This reliability management solution uses models and simulations and considers workflows to identify risks early on that potentially threaten system availability and usage. "System operators are very aware that conventional approaches to maintenance no longer suffice to avoid unexpected outages. The digital revolution is turning new technologies such as machine learning and predictive maintenance into the key determinants of profitability and competitiveness," explains Norbert Meierhöfer, business consulting director at Aspen Technology. "So we are delighted at the opportunity to unveil our APM solutions at HANNOVER MESSE. We are keen to show everyone how they can optimize their systems and maximize profitability throughout the full lifespan."
AspenTech Europe S.A.-N.V. (65205 Wiesbaden, Germany), Hall 22, Stand B31/1
Contact: Sabine Listl
Tel.: +49 894 1776 116
E-Mail: s.listl@lucyturpin.com

Helping lowly startups reach lofty heights!
The Energieloft run by Innoloft GmbH is a digital ecosystem aimed at accelerating innovations in the energy sector and elsewhere. What's more, as a cooperation partner of Deutsche Messe, it also forms part of the Young Tech Enterprises Energy program at HANNOVER MESSE 2018.

With the energy landscape already shifting, Germany’s firm commitment to abandoning nuclear power threw everything up in the air. Besides these shifts in the sector itself, advancing digitization is also injecting new ideas and business models into the mix. Above all, energy startups are using the freedom and scope unleashed by "Energy Wave 4.0" to develop innovative solutions and applications for integrated energy systems. As newcomers on the energy market, however, they need to establish access to customers, partners and capital to get their ideas up and running in the real world. Their predicament prompted Innoloft GmbH, based in Aachen, to join forces with the Energieloft innovation network to create an ecosystem to accelerate innovations related to energy, mobility and smart cities.

The forum will keep users bang up-to-date with the latest innovations and players on the market, announce opportunities for business and product development and encourage collaborations between established companies, other startups and investors. Energieloft will be vigorously pursuing its networking brief during HANNOVER MESSE 2018. It will also be participating in the Young Tech Enterprises Energy program in its role as a cooperation partner of Deutsche Messe and showcasing the potential and benefits of its digital ecosystem for scouting innovations and startups.
Innoloft GmbH (52070 Aachen, Germany), Hall 27, Stand L70
Contact: Florian Feuer
Mobile: +49 177 8642 806
E-Mail: f.feuer@energieloft.de

Tough new cameras keep their cool
DIAS Infrared GmbH has spent 25 years honing its system solutions for contact-free temperature measurement. The company is premiering its explosion-resistant ATEX housing for thermal imaging cameras and pyrometers at HANNOVER MESSE 2018.

Far more potentially explosive situations exist than most people might think. All manufacturing, processing, storage, transportation or loading of flammable materials carries this risk. Apart from the obvious industries such as chemicals, wood, pharmaceuticals, textiles and mining, the same applies to any activity involving fine particles. The presence of oxygen turns many gases, mists, vapors and dusts into explosive substances, and then all it takes is a source of ignition to release destructive bursts of energy. There are also more ways to trigger explosions beyond the most obvious. Once you bear all these factors in mind, you soon start to wonder why there aren’t booms and bangs all over the place!

This relative calm is largely thanks to the measuring and camera systems used to record conditions or actual incidents, which themselves must be able to withstand the explosive forces in question. DIAS Infrared is now launching an ATEX housing in a pressure-resistant case with germanium windows, which is particularly suitable for integrating infrared cameras and pyrometers in the long-wave infrared range. The company has chosen HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to unveil this new option, which complies with the specifications II 2G Ex db IIC T6 Gb and II 2D Ex tb IIIC T85°C Db, Ta -40°C to +60°C with a high degree of protection in a gas or dust explosion hazard zone 1 (ATEX zone 21). The housing also has a built-in heater and an optional sunshield, making it equally suited to indoor and outdoor use. The data from the PYROVIEW thermal imagers is transmitted via an Ethernet interface, while the series-10 and series-44 PYROSPOT pyrometers can transmit measured values via both the RS485 interface and the current output.
DIAS Infrared GmbH (01189 Dresden, Germany), Hall 17, Stand F63
Contact: Frank Nagel
Tel.: +49 351 8967 411
E-Mail: f.nagel@dias-infrared.de

Simply unaffordable? Not anymore!
Belgian company IONICS specializes in developing and supplying specialty surface technologies for metals, glass and other substrates. Its exhibits in Hannover include the IonLab for cost-effectively implementing HARDION ion implantation technology.

HARDION is a technology for implanting ions into surfaces that was first tried out during the 1970s. Many other tests followed at various research facilities and showed that the treatment can noticeably improve the mechanical and tribological features and corrosion-resistance of metals. Yet the time and money needed for the technology means it has so far remained practically unused in industry. This is all set to change thanks to IONICS SA, a Belgian startup that is committed to becoming a leading supplier in functionalized surface treatment. The company has chosen HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to showcase its IonLab, a HARDION-technology prototype on the brink of being launched onto the market.

The IONICS IonLab has sufficiently enhanced the previously uneconomical HARDION ion implantation technology for it to be used on an industrial scale. As a result, it finally makes financial sense to use this innovative and eco-friendly technology to improve a material's surface properties. IONICS is supported by the Walloon industry initiative WALIBEAM, which is made up of companies from the glass, metal and polymer sectors. The partnership is providing industrial companies with a range of pilot installations to continue testing this innovative key technology in realistic, professional conditions. A fully functional IonLab prototype can be inspected up close at the IONICS stand in Hannover.
IONICS SA (4042 Liers, Belgium), Hall 2, Stand A02
Contact: Luc Langer
Tel.: +32 4 278 91 60
Mobile: +32 475 450 253
E-Mail: info@ionics.be

Bearing up nicely
Sensosurf has a spot in the Young Tech Enterprises zone at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to unveil its smart standard bearings. It is also showcasing its trough worm conveyor with a smart flange bearing and intelligent flange connections for the wind power sector.

How can key production parameters be monitored comprehensively? How do I get components to exchange information? What's a fast and effective gateway into Industry 4.0? If you're looking for answers to these or similar questions, HANNOVER MESSE 2018 is the place to be! It's the trade fair of choice for companies that not only focus intently on such questions but have also come up with ingenious answers. Sensosurf GmbH, for example, manufactures intelligent machine components for predictive maintenance, such as the smart bearings that are celebrating their premiere in Hannover.

With predictive maintenance in mind, Sensosurf is integrating its sensors directly into standard bearings. This turns the flange and pedestal bearings into smart components, enabling them to measure the forces acting on them directly. Combined with networked machine learning, this generates the kind of application-specific information that was previously just a pipe dream. For machinery manufacturers, predictive maintenance opens up new options, increases customer loyalty and expands their service portfolio. Meanwhile, machine operators benefit from unprecedented process reliability, resulting in lower costs.
Sensosurf GmbH (28359 Bremen, Germany), Hall 17, Stand B68
Contact: Dr. Cord Winkelmann
Tel.: +49 421 2208 340
E-Mail: info@sensosurf.de

Signaling a brighter future
WERMA is at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to showcase intelligently networked signaling technology, retrofittable systems and ingenious Industry 4.0 solutions that make networking an easily achievable option for companies of all shapes and sizes.

The digital revolution presents many companies with a very particular challenge. While all processes in the production chain need to be made faster and more efficient, the trend is also moving toward customization and batch sizes of just one. This may sound like a contradiction - and indeed it is, unless the existing possibilities are finally harnessed to the full. WERMA has chosen HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to exhibit the ideal solutions. These are out-of-the-box, plug-and-play systems that can be retrofitted with ease at any time. They ensure companies of all shapes and sizes can leverage the opportunities and benefits offered by networking and digitization.

WERMA's innovative process optimization systems use unique wireless technology to network machines, workstations and even FIFO racks. They thus offer a simple, retrofittable and ready-to-use solution for cutting downtime and automatically replenishing materials. All the components of WERMA solutions have proven themselves in extensive practical testing, both in SMEs and at leading global companies. The systems boast a very short payback period, delivering lasting optimization of workflows and savings in time and money. The company is presenting three systems in Hannover that visitors can personally put through their paces - StockSAVER, a third-generation kanban system for production logistics; SmartMONITOR, the clever alternative for machine data collection in manufacturing companies; and AndonSPEED, a unique Andon system for optimizing mail order processes.
WERMA Signaltechnik GmbH & Co. KG (78604 Rietheim-Weilheim, Germany), Hall 7, Stand A37
Contact: Nicole Scheffel
Tel.: +49 742 4955 7231
E-Mail: info@werma.com

Let's talk linear actuators
IMI Precision Engineering, a leading supplier of motion and fluid control technologies, is at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to showcase its latest IMI Norgren communication-capable products with a firm focus on Industry 4.0.

The IMI Precision Engineering stand at HANNOVER MESSE is dedicated to the digital revolution and features its brand new IMI Norgren communication-capable products. Meanwhile, technical experts and product specialists are on hand to answer questions on factory motion control and help visitors find the ideal solution for their application.

The company's trade fair highlights include the new range of electrical linear actuators from IMI Norgren, which is being premiered in Hannover along with pneumatic valves, cylinders and equipment for compressed air conditioning and pressure monitoring. Visitors can also get involved themselves via an interactive screen that shows the opportunities offered by digitally networked products using industrial Ethernet and IO-Link technology. So if you’d like to try your hand at displaying lifecycle forecasts and controlling predictive maintenance to cut unplanned machine downtimes, you know where to head!
Norgren European Logistics Co. Ltd. (Birmingham B37 7XZ, United Kingdom), Hall 23, Stand A40
Contact: Jacqui McKinnon
Tel.: +44 121 296 6072
E-Mail: info@imi-precision.com

You can still be a nerd and love flowers!
The Institute of Botany at Leibniz University Hannover is showcasing flower models that have been designed with a CAD program and printed in 3D. The idea is to develop a teaching method that helps learners develop botanical expertise and programming skills at the same time.

Although HANNOVER MESSE 2018 continues to train the spotlight on practical industrial solutions, that doesn't mean there's no room for seemingly frivolous innovations that only "blossom" on closer inspection. For example, the Institute of Botany from Leibniz University Hannover is at the fair to exhibit educational three-dimensional flower models that have a lot more going for them than just pretty looks.

Headed by Prof. Jutta Papenbrock, the Institute believes that state-of-the-art 3D printing techniques could bring a whole new dimension to teaching in certain subjects, not least biology. Showing young people who aren’t all that keen on technology - and girls in particular - how to produce 3D models of biological structures can help steer them toward STEM subjects and teach them a whole lot of modeling skills at the same time. Designed in a CAD program and then produced using additive manufacturing techniques, the Institute's flowers are much cheaper than buying conventional models. What's more, they have the advantage of being simple to reproduce, scalable to any size and easy to repair. The ultimate aim to enable pupils to model and manufacture their own flowers in 3D printing working groups. A special teaching concept has therefore been developed to educate students about the structures of flowers and train them in digital programming techniques. A working group like this would benefit any school by helping to boost students' modelling skills at the same time as providing hands-on experience with a cutting-edge technology.
Gottfried Wilhem Leibniz Universität Hannover - Institute of Botany (30419 Hannover, Germany), Hall 2, Stand A08
Contact: Jutta Papenbrock
Tel.: +49 511 762 2631
E-Mail: papenbrock@botanik.uni-hannover.de

Long distances coupled with a long lifespan
igus GmbH is unveiling its new P4.1 long-distance roller chain at HANNOVER MESSE 2018. Besides the option of smart condition monitoring, tribo-optimized rollers double the system’s service life.

A few years back, the cement industry came up with the advertising slogan "…It's what you do with it that counts!" Nowadays, the same applies to plastics - perhaps even more so now their public image has taken such a battering. Under the banner "plastics for longer life", igus GmbH from Cologne recycles 21st-century high-performance plastics and puts them to good use mainly in its energy chain systems and polymer bearings. The company has chosen HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to unveil its new P4.1 roller chain for cranes and conveyor systems with optional smart condition monitoring.

igus has channeled its core skills in bearing engineering and energy supply chains into further increasing the availability of crane equipment and conveyor systems. The impressive result is the long-distance P4.1 roller chain with its newly developed tribo-optimized rollers for lubricant-free bearings in the individual chain links, which extend the lifespan of this energy supply chain. What's more, the P4.1 e-chain can be fitted with an integrated new "isense" condition monitoring sensor for easy connection to the igus predictive maintenance system.
igus GmbH (51147 Cologne, Germany), Hall 17, Stand H04
Contact: Michael Blaß
Tel.: +49 220 396 490
E-Mail: mblass@igus.de

Special plastics and test equipment - two inventions go hand in hand!
Researchers from Kaiserslautern University have made it their business to optimize plastics for industrial uses - and they've also come up with a purpose-built test device in the process. Both innovations are open to closer inspection at the Rhineland-Palatinate research stand at HANNOVER MESSE 2018.

Whether its drinks bottles, restroom fittings or automobile interiors, plastic products abound in our 21st-century lifestyle. The material not only features very prominently in our everyday lives, but is used just as much behind the scenes, such as for components in production facilities or in medical engineering. Researchers at Kaiserslautern University (TUK) have turned their attention to adding properties to plastic that will make them more wear-resistant and increase their lifespan in the future. As part of this endeavor, they have also developed their own system for testing the material under different conditions. At HANNOVER MESSE 2018, the TUK is showcasing both innovations - its new plastics and own test system - at the Rhineland-Palatinate research stand.

Plastic has already repeatedly proved its worth in industrial use, for example as the bearings used in production machines or vehicles. "It is often better than metal in such cases," says Nicholas Ecke, who is completing a PhD in mechanical and process engineering. "We are examining the effects of friction, wear and lubrication and ways of extending its lifespan," he says. (This field is formally known as tribology.) He also explains that the plastics in question "are made of polymers, to which we add certain fillers." The researchers aim to customize the properties of their plastic to suit specific applications. "We use carbon fibers to reinforce the material and reduce abrasion," Ecke reveals. They are also experimenting with reactive plastics "by incorporating different elements, including some that are released as the temperature increases," he says, "such as steam, which produces a hovercraft effect that reduces friction."
University of Kaiserslautern (67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany), Hall 2, Stand B40
Contact: Nicholas Ecke
Tel.: +49 631 205-5753
E-Mail: nicholas.ecke@mv.uni-kl.de

Faster, tighter, longer!
Besides its new GPN 608 conical closing, the plastic caps and plugs specialist Pöppelmann KAPSTO is placing two key initiatives center stage at HANNOVER MESSE 2018, aimed at increasing sustainability and speeding up processes.

Pöppelmann KAPSTO - responsible for protective elements within the plastics specialist Pöppelmann Group - is showcasing three main highlights at HANNOVER MESSE 2018. Besides PÖPPELMANN blue, a Group-wide initiative to boost sustainability in the plastics sector, the company is celebrating the trade fair premiere of its GPN 608 conical closing - a quickly removable conical closing with practical grip tab. The third headliner is a whole package of measures to effectively help customers optimize their time to market.

The broad-based PÖPPELMANN blue initiative, incorporating numerous projects aimed at closing the raw material cycle throughout the Group, is at the forefront of the Pöppelmann KAPSTO showcase. This underlines the importance of recycling materials within the Group’s sustainability strategy. The outstanding feature of the new universal GPN 608 conical plug or cap is its ease of use. The registered design of its innovative grip tab makes this protective component, which is used to seal holes and interior threads or for covering bolts and exterior threads, very easy to grip and remove, thus speeding up disassembly processes.

The package of measures developed by Pöppelmann KAPSTO is also aimed at accelerating processes and offering customers swift response times. New products and tools are now being developed with an eye to further boosting availability and time-saving applications. The action plan also seeks to optimize service by introducing the taglines "next day delivery", "fast lane" and "priority production". The whole drive is rounded off with a focus on further optimizing the internal process chains at Pöppelmann KAPSTO itself by "accelerating things at all levels".
Pöppelmann GmbH & Co. KG (49393 Lohne, Germany), Hall 23, Stand B40
Contact: Thorsten Koldehoff
Tel.: +49 444 2982 9140
E-Mail: thorstenkoldehoff@poeppelmann.com

"What on Earth is a steam engine 4.0?!"
At HANNOVER MESSE 2018, University4Industry is digitizing a traditional Industry 1.0 steam engine into a cutting-edge counterpart to demonstrate its highly practical teaching focus.

"What on Earth is a steam engine?" Plenty of visitors to HANNOVER MESSE 2018 will at least never have seen one in real life, that's for sure! But an encounter with its digital counterpart is up for grabs at the stand of University4Industry, based in Munich, which boldly describes itself as the Industry (4.0) University, with its emphasis on the digitization of manufacturing companies and systems and component manufacturers. Its current teaching program covers blockchains, machine learning, industrial security, OPC UA and EU DSGVO - all taught in collaboration with industry and focusing heavily on practical applications. In all, University4Industry boasts direct access to the expertise of more than 50 partner institutions, including prestigious names such as Siemens, Pepperl+Fuchs, HARTING, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and McKinsey & Company.

But coming back to the steam engine, University4Industry is running a "Steam Engine" LiveLab during HANNOVER MESSE 2018 to demonstrate how an Industry 1.0 system - in this case, a traditional steam engine - can be first automated and brought up to speed with Industry 3.0 before propelling it into the era of Industry 4.0 by means of digitization. To achieve this, the LiveLab contains the steam engine itself and functioning actuator and sensor technology, not to mention connections to a PLC and the cloud via an IoT gateway. This setup offers visitors a thrilling opportunity to remotely control the system, transmit data to the cloud and then evaluate the results.
Education4Industry GmbH (80992 Munich, Germany), Hall 6, Stand D02/03
Contact: Wolfgang Lay
Tel.: +49 89 55062 750
Mobile: +49 175 3668267
E-Mail: info@university4industry.com

See, think and act!
The Innovation Forklift that ZF Friedrichshafen is showcasing at HANNOVER MESSE 2018 shows how material handling also stands to benefit from the megatrends of networking and artificial intelligence.

It's pretty obvious that the technology set to drive us automatically from A to B in the not too distant future can also be put to good use "off-road" as well. For example, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a world leader in driveline and chassis technology and active and passive safety technology, plows more than six percent of its sales revenue into research and development every year - including accident prevention. The extensive portfolio of innovative solutions that this generates improves not only automobile mobility and autonomy, but also commercial vehicles and industrial engineering applications - as ZF is clearly demonstrating with its "Innovation Crave" on show at HANNOVER MESSE 2018.

The machine represents additional fields that stand to benefit from the megatrends of networking and artificial intelligence and can draw upon existing developments - in this particular case, material handling. After all, this is also a segment where safety, driver assistance and process automation are set to play a key role in the future. A series of smart systems equips the ZF Innovation Forklift for highly automated driving functions that perform these kinds of services. It has onboard camera and radar systems for identifying people and objects, deep-learning-capable ZF Pro AI electronics and ZF eSTEER EPS 3, which all go into making the Innovation Forklift a prime example of the company's guiding principles: "SEE - THINK - ACT".
ZF Friedrichshafen AG (88046 Friedrichshafen, Germany) Hall 22, Stand A20
Contact: Cornelia Urlhardt
Tel.: +49 851 4942556
E-Mail: cornelia.urlhardt@zf.com

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