Now or never!
Exhibiting under the banner of "4.0 NOW", SICK AG showed visitors to HANNOVER MESSE 2019 exactly how production and logistics can be effectively networked - and how data transparency makes it possible to harness opportunities to add value in real time.

SICK AG is one of the world's leading manufacturers of sensors and sensor solutions for industrial applications. With over 50 subsidiaries and holdings as well as numerous sales offices, the company is now represented around the globe. At HANNOVER MESSE 2019, which has been dedicated to digitization for a number of years now, SICK demonstrated its commitment to bringing Industry 4.0 to the here and now. The company showed how sensor intelligence and data transparency can optimize the entire value chain. Under the banner of "4.0 NOW", SICK offered insights into areas such as the smart production operations at its Freiburg site. It also highlighted how goods can be localized inside and outside organizations, how granular intelligence can be used to create detailed data transparency in factories and how artificial intelligence is already being harnessed in the industrial environment.

However, the key theme was the "4.0 NOW Factory" model - the company's answer to achieving highly efficient production right now. To bring the smart production processes in Freiburg to the trade fair stand in Hannover, a live stream was set up, enabling visitors to see automated guided carts (AGC) in action, supplying production robots and carrying away finished products. Visitors also had the opportunity to use a dashboard to call up key performance figures from the site, which was 600 kilometers away. "It looks so simple, but it's the result of focused development and networking efforts," says Bernhard Müller, Senior Vice President Industry 4.0 at SICK AG. "All our vehicles, components and production cells are connected to each other and upload data to a cloud. Production can be scaled to match the order situation and requirements. Automated operations run alongside manual work to combine the advantages of both variants and make production efficient."

SICK AG (79183 Waldkirch, Germany), Hall 9, Stand F18
Contact: Ute Hofmann
Tel.: +49 7681 202-4345
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A box of tricks from Berlin!
Remote maintenance with data glasses, real-time communication and seamless data management - infinIT & HÄUSLER have combined all these elements in their brand-new service concept, D MORITS, an out-of-the-box solution that made its debut at HANNOVER MESSE 2019.

The results of a study by the World Economic Forum show the economy is still faring well, but they also provide some food for thought. According to the study, up to 70 percent of machine downtime and stoppages could be prevented using intelligent predictive maintenance concepts. Not only that, but companies could reduce maintenance costs by up to 30 percent by basing planning on digital data. If there's one thing these impressive findings make very clear, it's that, as competition gets ever tougher, the companies that come out on top will be the ones most dedicated to the "wellbeing" of their machines - in other words, those that maximize added value by minimizing downtime. One company that has made it its mission to harness all this untapped potential is infinIT Services GmbH. The company was joined by its partner HÄUSLER at HANNOVER MESSE 2019, where they showcased their latest innovation that is set to take service & maintenance to a whole new level - D MORITS.

This out-of-the-box solution is a brand-new service concept for machine operators, designed to perfectly bridge the gap between factory facilities and the manufacturer’s digital service infrastructure. No matter where a machine comes from, all future servicing and maintenance will reportedly be carried out in situ, thanks to innovative and exceptionally smart networking with the manufacturer’s service center. Connected via data glasses and a digital line, the on-site technician and the service specialist at a remote location can, from now on, address the matter at hand as a team. The obvious advantage of this is that both people involved have access to the same data, see the same images and can communicate simultaneously - all in real time. This usually allows technicians to locate and remedy errors very quickly with remote assistance from a service specialist. All these developments eliminate the factors that normally make maintenance and rapid support so time-consuming and expensive. Companies no longer have to “fly in” a specialist or endure the excessive downtime and costs caused by having to arrange an appointment and wait for the specialist to arrive. Problem-solving measures can be taken immediately, in real time and at a significantly lower cost. What's more, this process provides a form of ongoing training for staff, helping them build up valuable expertise over time.

infinIT Services GmbH (10365 Berlin, Germany), Hall 6, Stand K54
Contact: Stefan Schwane
Tel.: +49 30 5569960
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Team players driving forward technology
Leading industrial companies seized the perfect opportunity at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to launch the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance. Their aim is to co-develop an open ecosystem to advance the digital transformation of industrial plants.

At this year's HANNOVER MESSE, seven leading companies in mechanical engineering, industrial automation and software joined forces to form the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance. By coming together, the participants hope to abolish proprietary standalone solutions and thus provide the potentially ultimate impetus for digitizing European industry. Founding members Endress+Hauser, Beckhoff, Hilscher, ifm, KUKA, Multivac and SAP are eager to see all kinds of companies join them in their quest.

Balluff, Gebhardt, Pepperl+Fuchs, Schmidtsche Schack, Samson and WIKA have already registered their interest in coming on board. All members have made a joint commitment to create a standardized open ecosystem for operating highly automated factories and process engineering plants that incorporates logistics and services. "The open architecture of the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance meets all the requirements of the process industry," says Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group, adding: "It is built on standards, ensures transparency across all business processes and guarantees the integrity of systems, enabling operators of process engineering plants to leverage the potential of Industry 4.0."

Endress+Hauser Messtechnik GmbH+Co. KG (79576 Weil am Rhein, Germany), Hall 11, Stand C43
Contact: Martin Raab
Tel.: +41 61 715 7722
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All eyes on Sweden
The recently restructured Asea Brown Boveri, better known as ABB AG, honored its Swedish roots at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 with a whole range of innovative solutions at the Sweden Co-Lab Pavilion, hosted by this year's Partner Country.

As the official Partner Country of HANNOVER MESSE 2019, Sweden took center stage this year at the leading world trade fair for industry. So, in honor of its Swedish heritage, ABB AG – a firm fixture at the fair since the 1970s - was proud to present its smart industrial solutions not just at its own stand, as usual, but also at the Sweden Co-Lab Pavilion, where the exhibitors demonstrated their commitment to co-creation and innovation. One example of ABB AG’s innovative prowess on show was the first emission-free shuttle service. During the trade fair, visitors had the opportunity to go on smooth, noiseless rides across the vast expanse of the exhibition grounds using this eco-friendly transportation service, which ABB ran in conjunction with fellow Swedes from Volvo.

ABB also offered an insight into its pioneering partnerships in Hannover and exhibited technologies that are at the heart of its transformation into a focused leading technology company for the digital industry. ABB AG has simplified its structure and is now divided into four divisions, delivering innovative solutions in electrification, industrial automation, drive technology and robotics & production automation. Each of these divisions, which play a leading role on their respective markets, aims to achieve maximum proximity and speed so it can act as the sole interface for customers.

ABB AG (68309 Mannheim, Germany), Hall 11, Stand A35 and Hall 27, Stand H30 (Sweden Co-Lab Pavilion)
Contact: Gabriel Striebel
Tel.: +49 621 4381-239
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