New robot revolutionizes automation as worker’s third hand
It is ultrasensitive and can work in areas that were previously off-limits to its fellow robots: The LBR iiwa from KUKA will be working live at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. LBR is the German acronym for "lightweight robot", while iiwa stands for "intelligent industrial work assistant". The LBR iiwa is the first mass-produced, sensitive robot which is optimized for human-robot interaction in automation. Humans and robots can now share the same workspace and even the same jobs. The user can put the robot into any desired position by hand; it learns intuitively so that programming skills are not required.

Unique the world over: With special torque sensors in all seven joints, the robot is able to assume even the most delicate automated assembly tasks with great sensitivity, position itself perfectly and serve as the human's third hand. It is also able to work with very fragile objects without causing any damage. In the event of unexpected contact, the intelligent robot immediately reduces its kinetic energy so that no injuries result. This eliminates the extra costs involved for safety systems like protective fences.

The housing is made completely of aluminum, which is why the robot is such a lightweight. An LBR iiwa weighs in at a total of only 22.3 kilograms at a payload capacity of seven kg or 29.5 kg at 14 kg of payload capacity. Its kinetics mimic the human arm so that it can position and apply the tool from different angles. That's why it proves the ideal partner in cramped, difficult installation positions. Mechanics and cables are designed to last for at least 30,000 operating hours.

KUKA Aktiengesellschaft
Zugspitzenstrasse 140
86165 Augsburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 821 797-3722
www.kuka.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Katrin Stuber-Koeppe
Hall 17, G04
E-mail: PR@kuka.com

Intelligent motors: Sensitive without sensors
Sensors are everywhere these days. In a car, for example, they warn you if something gets too close, or the coolant begins to overheat, or the gas tank is running low. However, these sensitive miniature sensors can also break down, rendering your car helpless on the side of the road. What applies to cars also applies to machinery and equipment of all kinds - a defective sensor can result in production downtimes and lost business. But now, a new sensor category that works completely without sensors is being presented by researchers from the University of Saarland at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

These researchers use the engine itself as the sensor, by intercepting the measurement data that is routinely generated during regular operation. Like a doctor can deduce information on a patient's health based on the bloodwork done, they can use the engine data to find out how well the engine is working. They determine the engine condition reflected by particular measurement data as well as any changes in measured values when things are no longer running as they should. Particularly the signals from normal operation provide the researchers with the information they need: The more data they have on an engine, the more efficiently they can make it run. The researchers use the data to identify the signal patterns that deliver important information or appear when certain changes occur, for example, defects or wear-and-tear. They then develop mathematical models for the different engine conditions as well as for the extent of defects and wear-and-tear. These results get fed into a microcontroller, the brain of the system that evaluates the data. If the signals change, the controller can allocate them to a specific malfunction and react accordingly.

University of Saarland
WuT GmbH
Geb. A1.1
Campus Saarbrücken
66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
Tel.: +49 681 302 2656
Fax: +49 681 302 4270
www.kwt-uni-saarland.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Professor Dr. Matthias Nienhaus
Hall 2, stand B46
E-mail: nienhaus@lat.uni-saarland.de

Like a TV detective: Infrared cameras for industrial use
We've all seen our favorite TV detectives do it: When the bad guys are getting away in the dark, the good guys pull out infrared cameras to follow them and hunt them down. That's because these cameras make human body heat visible. The same principle can also be put to good use in industry: In this case, thermal imaging cameras are used for non-contact temperature measurement. The Dias Infrared specialists from Dresden will be showing the latest areas of application and devices at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

Infrared thermography, i.e. measuring and representing the surface temperature of certain objects, supports process control and monitoring, quality control and early fire detection in industry. The cameras also play an important role in research and development: They are able to detect temperature distribution with high thermal resolution on stationary and moving measurement objects. The challenge is to minimize measuring errors due to inaccuracies in emissivity. That’s why the measuring process should use as short a wavelength as possible. This year, the Dresden-based company will present PYROVIEW 768N, a high-resolution infrared camera that operates using particularly short wavelengths. A one-gigabit Ethernet interface makes it possible to transmit data in real time without loss at up to 50 frames per second. Depending on the application, different wide-angle, tele and macro lenses as well as special combustion chamber lenses are available - to measure temperature distributions of up to 3,000 degrees.

Dias Infrared GmbH
Pforzheimer Strasse 21
01189 Dresden, Germany
Tel.: +49 351 8967410
Fax: +49 351 8967499
www.dias-infrared.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dr. Frank Nagel
Hall 17, stand D54
Tel.: +49 351 8967410
E-mail: f.nagel@dias-infrared.de

Predictive maintenance: Preventing damage proactively
Smart maintenance is just one of the topics presented by Schaeffler, an automotive and industry supplier, at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. "Predictive maintenance" makes it possible: Thanks to digitization, all the steps along the supply chain can now be tracked from the sensor right on up to the cloud.

Now that IT has become an integral part of production, intelligent systems ensure it is possible to proactively prevent machine downtimes, maintenance expense, drops in quality or production problems. At the world’s largest technology event, Schaeffler will demonstrate the future of condition monitoring with data backup and processing, as well as how online services customers will profit from remote monitoring for machines and equipment and how, for the first time, maintenance intervals can be determined on the basis of the relevant strain.

While maintenance engineers were once forced to devote a great deal of time and effort to filtering out and processing information from many different individual systems, Schaeffler will present a digital platform that bundles, evaluates and interprets all the data. The data collected by the sensors is fed into the cloud, thus making it possible to monitor the condition of a machine located anywhere that is networked digitally. With their modular design, Schaeffler's products and services can be customized to meet all types of different requirements. Two cloud-based solutions will be on display at the booth: First, a system for the optimal maintenance of rolling bearings and second, a process for the automatic diagnosis of rolling bearing damage, misalignment, and imbalance.

Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
Industriestrasse 1-3
91074 Herzogenaurach, Germany
Tel.: +49 9132 820
Fax: +49 9132 824950
www.schaeffler.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Martin Adelhardt
Hall 17, stand A37
Mobile: +49 172 882 04 21
E-mail: martin.adelhardt@schaeffler.com

Markings that stand up to the most rigorous testing
Many products are exposed to extreme conditions, either during the manufacturing process or during actual use. High temperatures, aggressive chemicals, along with tough climate and environmental conditions, make exacting demands on workpiece surfaces. Component labeling based on barcodes or matrix codes normally falls victim to such conditions. But now, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) is showcasing an exception to this rule - the new CeraCode, available for your perusal at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

The new technology is based on the use of ceramic luminescent materials for inkjet printers. These materials display a pronounced luminescence in response to optical excitation, e.g. by UV radiation. To create an individual labeling, the special ink containing the luminescent materials is printed onto the component or part. As a barcode or data matrix code, the label contrasts highly with the subsurface, regardless of ambient conditions. The ink exhibits excellent adhesion to a wide variety of different materials and is highly resilient both thermally and chemically.

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Winterbergstrasse 28
01277 Dresden, Germany
Tel.: +49 351 2553 7700
Fax: +49 351 2553 7600
www.ikts.fraunhofer.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dr. Thomas Härtling
Hall 6, stand B16, a partner of Göller Verlag
E-mail: thomas.haertling@ikts.fraunhofer.de

These fuel cells are mega
Europe's first fuel-cell power plant in the megawatt category is scheduled to go into operation this summer. With a nominal capacity of 1.4 MW, some 11.2 GWh of electricity and about 6,000 MWh of thermal energy will be generated from natural gas in the future. FuelCell Energy Solutions (FCES) from Dresden delivers the fuel cells and will be happy to answer any questions that visitors to HANNOVER MESSE 2016 might have on this exciting project.

In addition, visitors to the booth can marvel at the longest stack of fuel cells in the world and, at the same time, get information on individual, efficient and clean energy generation, combined with heat, cold or process steam from natural or biogas delivered directly to their locations.

FuelCell Energy Solutions GmbH
Winterbergstrasse 28
01277 Dresden
Tel.: +49 351 25537390
Fax: +49 351 25537391
www.fces.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Frömmel
Hall 27, stand J50, (J50/8), a partner of Dezentrale Energieversorgung
E-mail: afroemmel@fces.de

Atmospheric wizardry drives new injection molding process for aluminum parts
What has long been possible for steel or titanium - making geometrically complex parts using a special injection molding process, with metallic powder as the raw ingredient - has up to now seemed impossible for aluminum. But now researchers at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Vienna) have succeeded in changing the ambient atmosphere under which such parts are manufactured, allowing the process to be applied to aluminum as well. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016 this new aluminum injection molding process will be unveiled to a global trade audience.

Known as "sintering", powder-based molding processes have long failed with aluminum because they normally take place in a low-oxygen environment, whereas aluminum requires a high-oxygen environment. But if the ambient oxygen atmosphere is replaced by nitrogen, temperatures can be raised considerably, making it possible to produce complex-shaped components out of aluminum as well. This is particularly interesting for industries where lightweight design plays a key role - from the automotive to the aerospace industry. With regard to mass production, the new aluminum injection molding process can lead to a weight and material reduction of more than 50 percent. The powdery base material is moreover relatively inexpensive, so that even relatively large components can be produced at a reasonable cost. In addition, TU Vienna will be showcasing solutions for novel and inexpensive design options for the high towers used for wind power turbines as well as methods for the energy-efficient, inexpensive transport of the hydrogen (H2) produced by renewable sources of energy via the conventional natural gas network.

Technical University of Vienna
Karlsplatz 13
1040 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 58801 0
Fax: +43 1 58801 40199
www.tuwien.at

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Peter Heimerl
Hall 27, stand L71
Tel.: +43 664 605 883320
E-mail: forschungsmarketing@tuwien.ac.at

It's all about quantity: New pump concept for exact dosage
Whether it's at the hospital bed or in the laboratory, doctors and researchers are often confronted with the same problem: Liquids need to be dosed with absolute accuracy. After all, getting too much or too little of their medication in an IV drip could make a dramatic difference in a patient's health. In the lab, the exact amount of substances also forms the basis for analysis. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, the University of Ulm will be presenting a new type of pump concept used for the exact portioning of fluids.

The heart of the concept is made up of four individually controllable plungers, which draw in and dispense liquid separately from one another. To prevent pressure peaks, only three of the four units are ever active at the same time. The fourth plunger on pause balances out even the most minimal residual pulsation. The pump is small, lightweight and can be used for hot and toxic as well as sterile fluids.

University of Ulm
Research and Technology Transfer
Helmholtzstrasse 16
89081 Ulm, Germany
Tel.: +49 731 50 22010
Fax: +49 731 50 22096
www.uni-ulm.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Hall 2, stand A18
Stefan Bäder
Tel.: +49 731 50 60311
E-mail: stefan.baeder@uniklinik-ulm.de
Dr. Sonja Lebus-Henn
Tel.: +49 731 50 22291
E-mail: sonja.lebus-henn@uni-ulm.de

AlkaBev converts plain tap water into super-clean, antioxidant water
Water ionizers remove the acidic elements from water. The resulting alkaline water is considered to promote health and wellness. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, the QMP company from California is showing how such super-clean water can be produced using an absolute minimum of energy, in the form of the Alkabev water purification system.

This is the first ionizer to produce hydrogen-rich antioxidant water without the use of electricity. All the user needs to do is hook the system up to a conventional water faucet. The water is then ionized by passing it through several different layers of a unique filter system. The only electrical component is an electric display, which notifies the user when it’s time to change the filter.

QMP Inc.
25070 Avenue Tibbitts
Valencia, CA 91355, USA
Tel.: +1 661 2946860
Fax: +1 661 2946861
www.qmpusa.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Michelle Vidal
Hall 6, stand F46, (33), a partner of Materials & Lightweight Solutions
Mobile: +1 818 577 9730
E-mail: info@qmpusa.com