Spherical assistance system
A big transparent sphere hovers above visitors to the FESTO stand at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. At first glance it looks like a huge soap bubble. In fact it is called FreeMotionHandling and is a spherical indoor flying object that can maneuver autonomously in every direction, pick up objects independently and deposit them in a suitable location.

FreeMotionHandling is made of an ultralight carbon ring with eight adaptive propellers, and a pivoting helium ball with an integrated gripper element in the middle. The flying sphere is steered and controlled remotely using an indoor GPS system. It also has two onboard cameras to observe its surroundings and react to input during gripping procedures, so when the ball gets close to the object to be grasped, it takes over its own movement control using the two cameras.

FESTO
Ruiter Strasse 82
73734 Esslingen, Germany
Tel.: +49 711 347 0
Fax: +49 711 347 2628
www.festo.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Claudia Hackbarth
Hall 15, Stand D07
E-mail: chak@de.festo.com

Networking two worlds: Joining manufacturing and IT
Generally we only learn how helpful a new solution really is in actual application. That's why Bosch Rexroth usually trials new developments for the networked factory in its own manufacturing plants. This experience leads to field-tested products for Industry 4.0, some of which are being presented at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

Solutions for smart networking of assembly plants are a central focus this year. The modular assembly assistance system ActiveAssist simplifies assembly of a variety of manufacturing variants, for example, by connecting workspaces with the virtual world of information technology and guiding workers through the assembly steps using freely configurable sensors and assistants. The assistance system identifies the work piece using RFID, and loads the corresponding work plan from the MES or ERP system. Digital assistance systems such as projectors and light modules then show the worker exactly what to do, where.

The ActiveCockpit, a new manufacturing information system, takes things even further. This web-based communication platform gathers all relevant data from a production line and visualizes it in real time directly on the line. This allows employees to identify deviations in manufacturing much sooner and respond immediately to correct them.

Bosch Rexroth
Maria-Theresien-Strasse 23
97816 Lohr, Germany
Tel.: +49 9352 180
Fax: +49 9352 183973
www.boschrexroth.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Susanne Herzlieb
Hall 17, Stand B38
E-mail: susanne.herzlieb@boschrexroth.de

Data from the Big Bang
A consortium of universities and companies from ten countries is planning to build the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope. Dubbed the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), it is without question one of the most ambitious scientific projects underway today. The device comprises millions of antennae covering a total surface area of one square kilometer in southern Africa and Australia, and will start operation in 2024. The telescope's huge range will give astronomers the ability to find answers to questions about the formation of galaxies and the Big Bang. The SKA's antennae will receive some 14 exabytes in signals from space, and store around a petabyte of these. By way of comparison, one exabyte of digital music would play continuously for around two million years. The project therefore places extreme requirements on its data processing systems. The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy ASTRON shows how these ultra Big Data challenges will be mastered at HANNOVER MESSE 2016.

To fulfill the project's requirements, ASTRON and IBM have formed a public-private partnership called DOME. At the ASTRON & IBM Center for Exascale Technology created specially for the project in the Dutch city of Drenthe, an interdisciplinary team of scientists from both institutions is researching cutting-edge technologies and highly efficient exascale system architectures to process, store and analyze these massive data volumes.

ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
Oude Hoogeveensedijk 4
7991 PD Dwingeloo, Netherlands
Tel.: +31 521 595100
Fax: +31 521 597332
www.astron.nl

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Ronald Halfwerk
Hall 2, Stand C12, partner to Holland High Tech House
Mobile: +31 6 2909 1760
E-mail: halfwerk@astron.nl

Extremely resilient implants with advanced industrial ceramics: A new hip joint every 30 seconds
Hip prostheses made of CeramTec BIOLOX components are implanted at a rate of one every 30 seconds worldwide. CeramTec is presenting this extremely resilient advanced industrial ceramic, also used for knee replacements, at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. Advanced industrial ceramics are also used in medical devices and instruments, such as for kidney stone destruction or ultrasonic cleaning.

The company produces biocompatible, wear-resistant and ultra resilient ceramic parts for implants that remain in the body (endoprostheses). Patients benefit from continuous developments in materials technology for the treatment of chronic afflictions, so they can once again be free of pain in their daily lives. These abrasion- and corrosion-resistant ceramic components are hypoallergenic for the highest possible biocompatibility, according to the manufacturer.

CeramTec
CeramTec-Platz 1-9
73207 Plochingen, Germany
Tel.: +49 7153 611803
Fax: +49 7153 611673
www.ceramtec.de

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Katrin Hauk
Hall 6, Stand B17
E-mail: k.hauk@ceramtec.de

Lighting in 3D
Luminous foils, known as electroluminescent (EL) foils, can generally only be bent to a limited extent and are therefore only compatible with fairly even surfaces. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is presenting a process for printing electroluminescent coatings directly onto three-dimensional components.

The innovation here is that while EL foils encase the luminous material between two plastic layers, the new printing process makes it possible to apply electroluminescence to the object without any intermediate material. In this way, convex and concave surfaces of a wide variety of materials from paper to plastic can be made to glow. EL components can improve safety in buildings during power outages, for example, or find applications in displays and watches, or for impactful room design.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Kaiserstrasse 12
76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Tel.: +49 721 608 0
Fax: +49 721 608 4290
www.kit.edu

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Monika Landgraf
Hall 2, Stand B16
E-mail: monika.landgraf@kit.edu

20 years of rust protection: Longer life for machines, metal structures, oil platforms, ships and much more
Protection from rust is a challenge in many environments. At HANNOVER MESSE 2016, InnTechPro from Moscow is presenting an innovative form of protection applied to metals using a special method. Zinoferr has two elements: an aqueous solution of alkali metal silicate, and a mixture of extremely pure zinc particles.

The protective film is non-toxic and has a neutral odor, so it can be applied anywhere, and it takes just 15 to 30 minutes to dry. The coating protects against oils, oil products, solvents and both salt and fresh water, so Zinoferr can also be used for drinking water supply, for example. Temperatures from -60 to +450 degrees Celsius, as well as extreme temperature fluctuations, pose no problem. The manufacturer guarantees 20 years without rust corrosion in industrial environments with its innovation. Potential customers are in the oil and gas industry, shipbuilding and metalworking, the military and automobile industries.

InnTechPro
Technopark Strogino A-215
Tvardovskogo St. 8
123458 Moscow, Russia
Tel.: +7 495 7734248
www.inntechpro.ru

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Alexander Mikhaylov
Hall 3, Stand H06
Mobile: +7 495 778 00 14
E-mail: info@inntechpro.ru

Who's digging so late at the pit?
It's the simulator that's digging. That's what could happen when the Operator backhoe-loader being presented by SANLAB Simulation at HANNOVER MESSE 2016 is in use.

The exhibitor offers a number of heavy equipment training simulators in addition to the backhoe-loader - from cranes to forklifts. In all the simulations, users work in realistic 3D surroundings. The machine cockpit on the display can hardly be differentiated from the original. Even the vehicle's physical reactions, such as driving over uneven ground, are faithfully reproduced in the simulator, so that handling heavy machines can be learned easily and without risk to people or equipment.

SANLAB Simulation
AR. GE. San. Tic. Ltd. Sti.
Tübitak Yerleskesi Tekgeb No:10
41480 Gebze, Turkey
Tel.: +90 262 6429485
Fax: +90 216 3360993
www.sanlab.net

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Evren Emre
Hall 6, Stand K54
Mobile: +90 530 32 52 838
E-mail: info@sanlab.net

Getting under the hood: A new app checks on whether pumps are operating energy efficiently
According to the Association of German Engineers (VDI), experts estimate that industry could save up to 35 percent of electricity costs by optimizing their pump systems.

In this area KSB is presenting a worldwide innovation at HANNOVER MESSE 2016: the KSB Sonolyzer app for mobile phone or tablet that can determine in just 20 seconds whether unregulated pumps are operating efficiently.

Before starting you enter the pump's nominal motor power, rotation speed, discharge head and output (which are found on every rating plate). Then you record the sounds from the electric motor ventilation for 20 seconds with the cellphone or tablet microphone. That's it. The software uses the noise spectrum to determine the rotation speed of the unit, calculates the torque, compares performance data and shows the user whether changes to hydraulics or drive engineering could save energy. This analysis by the app is not restricted to specific manufacturers; it can verify the condition of any rotary pump powered by an unregulated asynchronous motor. The app works with both iOS and Android operating systems.

KSB
Johann-Klein-Strasse 9
67227 Frankenthal (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany
Tel.: +49 6233 86-0
www.ksb.com

Contact at HANNOVER MESSE 2016:
Hall 15, Stand D31
Dr. Thomas Paulus
Mobile: +49 173 325 67 86
E-mail: thomas.paulus@ksb.com
Bernhard Wittmer
Mobile: +49 172 76477 81
E-mail: bernhard.wittmer@ksb.com