AI out of the box
Described as "manufacturing's first out-of-the-box analytics company", US-based MachineMetrics is coming to HANNOVER MESSE 2019. Its goal is to show just how comprehensively production can be optimized using digitization and, more importantly, the artificial intelligence (AI) it makes possible.

Headquartered in Northampton, Massachusetts, MachineMetrics developed the first AI-driven predictive analytics platform for the mechanical engineering sector. In 2018, the company won the IoT Breakthrough Award in the "Smart Manufacturing Solution" category. As out-of-the-box applications, its Industry 4.0-capable solutions can be pressed into service straight away, providing edge connectivity, real-time visibility, in-depth production analyses and AI-based predictive maintenance suggestions to help boost the productivity and efficiency of a machine park.

By exhibiting at HANNOVER MESSE 2019, the developers from MachineMetrics now aim to show how - by simplifying the Industrial IoT- they can help companies using their solution to make better decisions on the basis of digitized machine data. Having recently raised 11.3 million US dollars in Series A financing, the company is currently planning to expand its data science and product development teams. It is also working to accelerate global sales, and, as a trade fair with a global reach, HANNOVER MESSE offers the ideal springboard for exactly that. "Now is the internet moment for manufacturing," says William Bither, CEO and co-founder of MachineMetrics. "Because we're pulling data from thousands of machines, we're able to gain a unique understanding of their problems. These insights are delivered back to our customers so they can take action to gain a competitive edge."

MachineMetrics, Inc. (01060 Northampton, United States), Hall 5, Stand D48, USA Pavilion Digital Factory
Contact: Graham Immerman
Mobile: +1 413 531 7490
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Sounds good!
In launching the IVS-500 industrial vibration sensor, Polytec has set out to raise the bar in vibro-acoustic quality inspection for the precise evaluation of parts and components. The company is at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to demonstrate how pass/fail analysis decisions are taken using state-of-the-art technology.

Judging subtle differences - that is what Polytec GmbH has set out to do with its latest generation of industrial vibration sensors. Polytec laser vibration sensors have a long and successful track record as precision measuring instruments for quality control applications in a production environment or for use directly on the production line itself. In launching the IVS-500 industrial vibration sensor, Polytec has now set out to raise the bar in vibro-acoustic quality inspection for the precise evaluation of parts and components. The new generation of industrial vibration sensors is designed to boost productivity and competitiveness by eliminating the problem of false rejects. The non-contact system achieves this by taking care of pass/fail decisions with laser precision.

Thanks to its robust design and maintenance-free sensor technology, the IVS-500 industrial vibration sensor is said to deliver reliable measurements even in harsh, noisy production environments and for virtually all surfaces. The laser also uses auto and remote focus functions to adjust its aim for alternating component geometries, while working distances of up to three meters provide added flexibility when integrating the system into a test bench. What's more, the broad frequency spectrum of up to 100 kHz supports measurements in the ultrasonic range and the reliable laser Doppler process is designed to ensure measurements are valid at all times. Since it doesn't require any complex special fixtures or other moving parts, the sensor is virtually maintenance free, which means that, all things considered, the IVS-500 can play a key role in delivering high levels of productivity in manufacturing processes.

Polytec GmbH (76337 Waldbronn, Germany), Hall 11, Stand E32, AMA Center for Sensor, Measuring and Testing Technologies - Meeting Point Sensorics (main stand)
Contact: Susann Rehbein
Tel.: +49 7243 604-3652
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This time machine will keep you on track
Exhibiting alongside Leichtbau BW GmbH at HANNOVER MESSE 2019, the start-up Accelerated Innovation is showcasing its new platform, which can be used to run through a variety of future scenarios based on a fully digitized process chain.

The developers at the start-up Accelerated Innovation are coming to Hannover to exhibit their new platform designed to speed up industrial innovations. They help companies stay one step ahead in their development work with a fully digitized process chain, as the results from simulations and optimizations can be fed back directly to the platform where they can be accessed - even by partners - across companies, significantly reducing the time to market. As you might expect of a company exhibiting alongside Leichtbau BW GmbH, the start-up is putting lightweight engineering center stage at Hannover and demonstrating how optimization potential can be fully harnessed from the very beginning. Thanks to a fully digitized process chain, users can also use several iteration loops to factor in interactions between individual lightweight engineering measures and make further improvements.

"Our platform is a bit like a time machine," explains Christian Ludwig, Marketing Manager at Accelerated Innovation, before pointing out the benefits of being able to run through various future development scenarios: "If you know what the final outcome will be, you can take it into account in the decisions you make now. By using our platform, customers can save time and money, boost their productivity and ultimately offer their customers better products. This means even small companies can hold their own with the big players," says Ludwig, who draws on an example to explain how the platform works: "A part's digital twin is stored on the platform. We then use this depiction of the real part to provide various simulations and optimizations. This is much faster than testing a real part and also eliminates the need to build a prototype and send the part back and forth."

Dr. Wolfgang Seeliger, Managing Director of Leichtbau BW, also explains how the start-up's solutions can help unlock potential for lightweight engineering: "The complex simulations and feedback loops used in lightweight engineering depend on digitization. A fully digitized process chain can boost the overall optimization potential during product development - especially if lightweight engineering has been taken into account from the very beginning," says Dr. Seeliger, citing another example: “Products optimized for lightweight engineering weigh less, which benefits the customer because, for example, they can then fit out their machines with more compact motors that consume less energy because they have to move less mass.”

Leichtbau BW GmbH (70174 Stuttgart, Germany), Hall 5, Stand C18, Baden-Württemberg Pavilion - Baden-Württemberg International
Contact: Sandra Bayer Teixeira
Tel.: +49 711 1289 88 43
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It's AI versus errors - who will take home the gold?
Contech Software & Engineering GmbH is at the leading Research & Technology fair of HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to show visitors how its fully automated AI software - Analyser - aims to deliver error-free and robust products, and stable processes.

Boldly described by Contech as a revolutionary software solution for robust products and intelligent processes, Analyser is designed to provide a pioneering, end-to-end Industry 4.0 solution for digitized, preventive and reactive error analysis and resolution. The aim of this fully automated AI software is not just to analyze the cause of errors, but to offer a wide range of methodological functions for modeling, automated process parameterization and controlling as well. Analyser provides solutions and measures in the form of recommendations, and does so - as the Contech developers so proudly point out - in real time. This way, function models can be used to turn unknown effect mechanisms in products and processes into known parameters.

Contech Software & Engineering GmbH is in Hannover to reach out to development and manufacturing companies and establish its Analyser as a cross-sector solution. Indeed, there is no shortage of arguments in favor of this software. It is suitable for all companies - from SMEs to large corporations - and opens up an incredibly wide range of potential applications. Not only can it be used for typical direct error reduction in development, production and assembly processes; it can also identify correlations and thus optimize products and processes. What’s more, Analyser is said to provide effective product protection and quality assurance, while also supporting process parameterization.

The company claims that automating troubleshooting analysis and problem-solving alone will deliver savings on resources and costs amounting to over 50 percent - all in less than six months. "We've managed to reduce the current standard project lead times for process optimization from three months to just ten hours," declares Frank Thurner, CEO and owner of Contech Software & Engineering GmbH. "As a result, it takes no more than twelve months to recoup the investment in Analyser. That even applies to well-established series production!"

Contech Software & Engineering GmbH (82256 Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany), Hall 2, Stand C28, Pavilion of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Contact: Daniel Juling
Tel.: +49 8141 888 403-0
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More nitrogen - less compressed air!
INMATEC GaseTechnologie GmbH & Co. KG is at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to showcase new nitrogen generators designed to produce ultrapure nitrogen while ensuring maximum energy savings.

INMATEC is an international market leader in the manufacture of nitrogen and oxygen generators. The company has development and production operations in Germany, with approximately 5,800 systems installed around the world. The IMT PNC series being unveiled in Hannover has been designed to generate ultrapure nitrogen (6.0) at minimal cost and with complete control of all operating values.

The brand-new PNC technology developed by INMATEC combines innovative flow technology and advanced vortex technology to boost the efficiency of the PSA technology used. As a result, when nitrogen molecules are separated from oxygen molecules, significantly more oxygen is produced with less compressed air required, thus saving on energy and costs. What's more, special volume-controlled technology optimizes N2 generation cycle times. Combined with speed-efficient compressors, this cuts compressed air requirements even further.

INMATEC is also keen to highlight the continuous measurement and monitoring of all operating values. The recorded nitrogen purity and the starting pressure can be read at any time via the touch control panel L. Remote access also ensures the generator can be monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world. This Industry 4.0 standard (remote monitoring box) offers the best possible protection for the complete production process.

INMATEC GaseTechnologie GmbH & Co. KG (82211 Herrsching, Germany), Hall 26, Stand C78 (main stand)
Contact: Elke Vetterlein
Tel.: +49 8152 909 734
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Pioneers on the right path
Austrian company Industrie Informatik GmbH is unveiling its latest feature at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 - inspection alongside production! While in the past only a loose coupling to a CAQ system was used, now - with software-assisted quality assurance - new interactive approaches are being explored.

Industrie Informatik GmbH is an international software company that has been helping manufacturers optimize their production processes for over 25 years. cronetwork, its newly developed Manufacturing Execution System (MES), offers companies a new level of transparency in their production operations, creating the basis for further optimization measures while taking into account the complete value chain. With its extensive expertise and more than 15 appearances at HANNOVER MESSE, Industrie Informatik is a natural fit for the new "Home of Industrial Pioneers" in Hannover, where it is unveiling its latest feature on a stand almost twice the size of its previous exhibition space – inspection alongside production!

While in the past only a loose coupling to a CAQ system had to be used, now - with software-assisted quality assurance - new interactive approaches can be explored. That's how Thomas Krainz, member of the board of directors responsible for strategic product management at Industrie Informatik, sees things: "We integrate all test specifications, test equipment and test schedules from existing sources into our system and manage them. We then use this information for almost all other cronetwork modules." Krainz views this as a shift away from a reactive approach to quality-relevant production results and toward a proactive strategy that enables manufacturers to respond to any quality issues during the actual production process. This eliminates the need for subsequent production quality checks.

Industrie Informatik GmbH (4020 Linz, Austria), Hall 7, Stand C12 (main stand)
Contact: Markus Maier
Tel.: +43 7326 978-21
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AI at the leading edge
Omron is unveiling the world’s first machine-level AI solution at HANNOVER MESSE 2019, ensuring new harmony between humans and machines. This AI solution "at the edge" is designed to help German industrial companies boost their competitiveness.

Omron points out that Europe, according to a recent WIPO study, is set to be left behind by the United States and China when it comes to artificial intelligence. It also highlights the study's finding that many of the cloud-based AI solutions advertised on the market will not change this, as they place enormous demands on infrastructure and IT. Processing the volumes of data involved is still a laborious and time-consuming process. That’s why Omron is in Hannover to unveil a completely new solution for predictive maintenance and machine control - the AI controller. The world's first AI system for machine automation aims to combine production line control functions with AI-based data processing in real time.

For the first time, Omron's AI controller integrates AI algorithms into machine control and monitors production lines using real-time sensors, thus ensuring irregularities can be detected much more quickly. What sets this technology apart is that it doesn’t require an Internet connection, which means companies are no longer reliant on cloud computing and they can harness the potential of AI even if they don't have a good Internet connection. The new AI solution collects, analyzes and uses data from edge devices in a controller so as to extend the service life of the devices and detect irregularities, thus eliminating downtimes. Omron heralds its solution as the first industrial AI controller for machine automation that has an integrated Sysmac library and combines control functions for production lines and equipment at production sites with data processing based on artificial intelligence in real time. Raw data is collected on a fully automatic basis by the AI controller, which operates inside the machine using edge computing, ensuring maximum consistency and data security. The controller also uses correlation analyses to automatically create data models that it then deploys to monitor the machine status. The AI components and a comprehensive library of preprogrammed function blocks for predictive maintenance - which are used in the hardware, based on Sysmac NY5 IPC and NX7 CPU - are created using typical applications in a practice-based process.

OMRON ELECTRONICS GmbH (40764 Langenfeld, Germany), Hall 9, Stand F24, Factory of the future – ensuring harmony between humans and machines (main stand)
Contact: Marion Beekhuizen
Tel.: +31 6 2943 67 51
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Bonding in the fast lane
Weicon GmbH & Co. KG is at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to present a new 2-component epoxy resin system with residual elasticity and impressive impact strength - Weicon High Performance (HP). The innovative solution has been designed especially for structural adhesive bonding.

Since 1947, Weicon GmbH & Co. KG has been manufacturing specialist products, such as specialty adhesives and sealants, technical sprays, high-performance assembly pastes and greases for all areas of industry - from production, repair and servicing right through to maintenance. The company is now in Hannover to unveil Weicon HP – a new adhesive that has been specially designed for structural bonding. This 2-component epoxy resin system is practically shrink-free, with residual elasticity and outstanding impact strength.

Weicon HP is said to offer exceptional bonding strength and can be used on virtually all surfaces. According to the developers the paste-like texture of the new adhesive makes it non-drip and spreadable. This ensures it can also be used on vertical surfaces and even for overhead applications. What’s more, its high elongation at break means it is also ideal for repairs on machines that exhibit high levels of vibration. Weicon HP can thus be used for a whole range of applications, including lining pump housings that have to withstand heavy usage, as wear protection for slide bearings, chutes and pipes, and wherever dark adhesives are unsuitable for aesthetic reasons.

Weicon GmbH & Co. KG (48157 Münster, Germany), Hall 5, Stand B35 (main stand)
Contact: Thorsten Krimphove
Mobile: +49 1511 210 6067
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Faster, higher, stronger
From innovative components to installation-ready systems and specific Industry 4.0 solutions, Schaeffler is using HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to showcase numerous new developments that enable customers to make full use of spare capacity throughout the product lifecycle.

The Schaeffler Group has gained itself a global reputation as an innovative automotive and industrial supplier. Precision engine, gearbox and chassis components and systems, together with roller and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications, are already helping it make a significant contribution to future mobility. Schaeffler's innovative prowess is also underlined by the number of patents it applied for in 2018 - over 2,400 - which makes it Germany's second most development-oriented company, according to the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. This is reflected in the number of new developments the company is exhibiting at HANNOVER MESSE 2019.

For example, Schaeffler has incorporated the new REXS data interface it jointly developed into the company’s own BEARINX calculation software. Visitors to the Schaeffler stand can witness how quick and easy the standardized interface will make it for CAE tools to share gearbox data. Further benefits include far shorter development times and the creation of a basis for generating digital twins that can be used to analyze operating data as part of Industry 4.0 solutions. Schaeffler is also exhibiting roller bearings with different designs but identical dimensions for modular gearboxes. These bearings are intended to meet a number of requirements relating to rigidity and load-carrying capacity - without the need for time-consuming design adjustments. They also make specific adapters and component variations unnecessary, especially in the case of shafts, housings and housing covers.

Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG (97421 Schweinfurt, Germany), Hall 22, Stand D43
Contact: Dr. Axel Lüdeke
Tel.: +49 9132 825 000
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3D printing produces parts faster
Stratasys, a pioneer in additive manufacturing, is using HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to showcase its latest developments in 3D printing and announce upcoming innovations.

Stratasys is a global industry leader when it comes to additive technology solutions for all kinds of applications. Driven by a consistent focus on its customers’ business needs, Stratasys again and again comes up with new, targeted innovations that create added value for the processes in the product lifecycle. The Stratasys 3D printing ecosystem includes advanced materials, software with voxel-level control, precise, reproducible and reliable FDM and PolyJet 3D printers, professional application-based consulting and services, and on-demand parts. HANNOVER MESSE 2019 provides Stratasys with the ideal opportunity to announce important new product developments designed above all to benefit customers who are looking to increase their options by expanding their additive manufacturing.

Stratasys is also offering live demonstrations of the latest solutions for PolyJet and FDM additive manufacturing. What's more, it is exhibiting a range of complex 3D-printed parts from a variety of sectors that are designed to provide visitors to the show with further information about the possible applications - from extremely true-to-life functional prototypes and mold making all the way through to the manufacture of final components. One example is Kärcher, an international market leader in cleaning technology. Kärcher uses the Stratasys J750 - the world's only multi-material full-color 3D printer - to produce ultra-precise prototypes of the EASY!FORCE high-pressure gun. This cuts Kärcher's lead times considerably compared with conventional methods. Similarly, plastic component manufacturer Elkamet is using the Fortus 450mc 3D printer based on FDM technology to overcome the conventional limitations of small-batch mold production. Thanks to Stratasys technology, Elkamet has reduced its production lead times by up to 75 percent.

Stratasys GmbH (77836 Rheinmünster, Germany), Hall 6, Stand K07
Contact: Jonathan Wake
Tel.: +44 1737 215 200
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Along for the ride
It goes without saying that most digital mobility solutions are completely app-based but, according to the founders of startup company goFLUX, an app arranging rides for everyday journeys in seconds was sadly lacking - until now that is, because just such an app is on show at HANNOVER MESSE 2019.

An innovative car-sharing app for commuters, urban journeys and other short distances, goFLUX is designed to pair up drivers and passengers in the space of 10 to 15 seconds, so getting from A to B couldn’t be simpler for "fluxers" - the name developers at the Cologne-based startup have given to users of the new iOS and Android app. The new app has the added advantage of cutting emissions and reducing the number of vehicles on the road. goFLUX registration is free and puts users under no obligation. They only need to pay if they book a ride, in which case goFLUX automatically fixes a fair price to spare drivers the tricky task of having to set a price that is acceptable to everyone involved.

goFLUX is showcasing its response to present-day mobility challenges as a co-exhibitor of the North Rhine-Westphalia Competence Network Environmental Economics in The Startup Hub in Hall 13. Among other things, it is illustrating how employers can use the app as a staff incentive, creating an additional mobility offering by paying all or part of the costs. goFLUX can help companies and their employees improve their carbon footprint. Life can also be made easier for commuters, for example by providing reserved parking spaces for "fluxers" on company premises.

goFLUX - Einfach Mitfahren (50937 Cologne, Germany), co-exhibitor with the North Rhine-Westphalia Competence Network Environmental Economics, Hall 13, Stand F20, young tech enterprises - The Startup Hub
Contact: Wolfram Uerlich
Mobile: +49 1609 701 933-2
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Yes, really!
PLM/ERP solution provider ComputerKomplett is bringing a number of spectacular virtual reality installations to this year’s HANNOVER MESSE, including a "VR Cave", a "Digitization Camp" and a "VR Active Cube".

Machinery, robots, products, logistics and even people - sooner or later, digital systems will network everything and everyone. Although this development brings with it both known and unknown risks, it also without doubt opens up opportunities to gain huge competitive advantages. To realize these opportunities, 370 ComputerKomplett staff from 13 sites in Germany and Switzerland are offering more than 3,200 customers support and guidance as they navigate the fourth industrial revolution. From product development, business management and IT service to solutions either on customer premises or at the ComputerKomplett data center, the goal is always the same - efficient, flexible and customized production and marketing. ComputerKomplett ASCAD GmbH is using some spectacular installations to illustrate its business model at HANNOVER MESSE 2019.

Together with its technology partners PTC, Siemens and abas, the company is showcasing virtual reality (VR), 3D modeling and product lifecycle management (PLM) products and solutions at no fewer than four different stands. The "VR Cave" at the stand of Salzgitter AG in Hall 5, which ComputerKomplett developed in collaboration with Virtalis, is set to be a particular highlight. In the "VR Active Cube" - a virtual room that visitors to the show can enter for real - Salzgitter AG is presenting its new SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) system. This trendsetting technology is designed to cut the carbon dioxide emissions generated during steelmaking by up to 95 percent. In addition to supplying the hardware for the "VR Active Cube", ComputerKomplett is also providing the software in collaboration with Salzgitter AG and generating 3D models for the virtual room based on 3D CAD and PLM solutions from PTC.

ComputerKomplett ASCAD GmbH (44805 Bochum, Germany), Hall 6, Stand K46
Contact: Patricia Distefano
Tel.: +49 2349 594-0
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Horizontal and vertical trade
IIoT solution specialist IoTOS GmbH is using a showcase at HANNOVER MESSE 2019 to demonstrate how applications for networking, analyzing and providing production data support both horizontal and vertical integration throughout the value chain.

IoTOS GmbH specializes in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions and uses its expertise to assist companies in meeting Industry 4.0 requirements. The resulting tailored IIoT solutions and services are designed to help companies digitize their entire supply chain - from product idea, development and production all the way through to delivery to the end customer. At HANNOVER MESSE 2019, IoTOS is joining forces with other co-exhibitors at the SEF stand to demonstrate a solution of this kind. Capacity data from electronics supplier Limtronik and networking with the SupplyOn supplier platform enable seamless near-real-time tracking of a production order - from the time it was placed to the arrival of goods at the plant.

IoTOS is also collaborating with Bosch Rexroth and German Edge Cloud to illustrate horizontal integration in a showcase at the event. Among other things, this is intended to demonstrate how the IoTOS Suite's track & trace service is supplied with data from local production-related IT systems via the IoTOS integration service to make this data available for internal industrial analytics applications and track & trace analyses across supply chains. The data is provided via an international data space (IDS) connector from German Edge Cloud. Suppliers can use this connector to determine which data is passed on to customers, for what purpose and for how long. This is designed to give the party generating the data permanent control over its information.

IoTOS GmbH (65549 Limburg, Germany), Hall 7, Stand D26
Contact: Wolf Lüdge
Tel.: +49 6431 968-570
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