Application Park - a highlight at HANNOVER MESSE 2007 Close collaboration in the area of mechatronics The German mechanical engineering industry is at the forefront of technological progress. "Made in Germany" is synonymous with quality, flexibility and performance. German-designed solutions will figure prominently at HANNOVER MESSE 2007 (16 - 20 April), above all at the flagship fair "Factory Automation". Numerous product demonstrations will give attendees a detailed insight into new ways of boosting productivity in their companies.
Complete production installations will be on show - all in the interest of maximizing the benefits for trade visitors.The new "Application Park" in Hall 17 will bring together around 50 high-tech companies on a total display area of 3,000 square meters. This major new highlight has been organized jointly by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and Deutsche Messe. The applications on show here are targeted at commercial management, as well as design and development specialists.The "Application Park" will feature a series of live demonstrations by Siemens and Volkswagen, as well as Phoenix Contact and its partner companies.
The spotlight will be on new ways of reconciling customized production with short delivery deadlines.
Orders via touch screen: high-speed warehousing system
A single touch of a button - and a brand new Volkswagen is retrieved almost instantaneously from the high-bay warehouse. VW and Siemens teamed up to develop a high-speed warehousing system for the Touran minivan produced by Auto 5000 GmbH. In real life this system is used to supply assembly frames for the vehicle chassis. "Instead of assembly frames visitors to HANNOVER MESSE will be able to transfer various VW models from the warehouse to a pick-up point," explains Jörg Drexler, who is responsible for special production technology assignments at VW and who designed this special presentation together with the production planner Michael Milbradt. The warehouse installation has successfully completed its field trials in a mixed-model assembly environment.
Personalized coffee mugs
On a total display area of 300 square meters Phoenix Contact and twelve of its industrial partners will demonstrate the possibilities for seamless horizontal and vertical communication at all levels and stages of the production process. Via a PC the visitor will be able to order a coffee mug printed with his or her name - and then watch the production, printing and packaging process 'live.' A short time later the mug is ready for collection.The order for the mug plus personal lettering is managed via the SAP system. The mug is produced automatically on an injection moulding machine.
The owner's name is engraved by means of a laser. Quality assurance, packaging and storage likewise take place automatically. "On the basis of this specific application we want to demonstrate the interaction of three different communication technologies - Profinet, Ethernet and Internet. IT-powered automation is a key issue," emphasizes Roland Bent, Managing Director of Phoenix Contact.
Exhibitors present high-tech systems
The other exhibitors at "Application Park" will also be presenting a broad range of cutting-edge solutions. For example, IBG Automation GmbH (a member of the Goeke Technology Group) will be taking the wraps off two highly innovative systems. The first is an automatic production system for diesel particulate filters. The second is a patented system for the automatic attachment of wheels to a continuously moving car body shell. a&a technologies, a company specializing in customized industrial measuring devices, will be presenting a robot-assisted system deployed on the rear axle mounting of a delivery van.
Last but not least ZBV Automation will be showcasing modular assembly cells and component feed systems. These are just some of the many innovative solutions on show in Hall 17.
Related presentations
"Our goal is to provide an authentic insight into the interplay between various disciplines. Small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, are looking for complete automated manufacturing solutions from a single source. The 'Application Park' exhibitors present a concentrated range of solutions that can be deployed in a variety of different industrial sectors," explains Wolfgang Pech, Senior Vice President at Deutsche Messe. "Application Park" is closely related to other special events taking place under the umbrella of Factory Automation. The "Robotics Academy" in Halls 16 and 17 offers training opportunities on a variety of different systems.
And the "Factory Automation Forum" (Hall 16) will focus on the latest trends in all sectors of industry - from mechanical engineering to food & beverages.
Mechatronics
Mechatronics (a combination of mechanical and electronic engineering) is a recurrent theme throughout the "Factory Automation" display. The interplay of mechanical, electronic and IT systems plays a crucial role throughout industry. Located in Hall 15 in the immediate vicinity of "Application Park", the special display "Man & Mechatronics Experience" will illuminate these interrelationships from various angles. The 20-strong exhibitor line-up will include well-known companies, research institutes, industry associations and universities. The organization of this event has been placed in the capable hands of Festo and ITQ, (Information: Technology: Quality).
"One of the difficulties with mechatronics is that it works behind the scenes," explains Paul Kho from Festo. "Man & Mechatronics Experience" will provide detailed information about mechatronics applications, with special emphasis on networking. Dr. Rainer Stetter, Managing Director of ITQ GmbH, a firm of mechanical and plant engineering consultants, promises "a technology-oriented, vendor-independent dialogue, which will reinterpret the whole concept of mechatronics in the mechanical engineering sector."