HANNOVER MESSE has a revamped layout, making it even
quicker for visitors to zero in on the key industrial
transformation technologies of greatest interest to them.
The focal point of the show's industrial transformation
message is the Digital Ecosystems showcase covering the full
range of software for every link in the industrial value
chain. The display is strategically located at the heart of
the venue – in halls 14 through 17.
At HANNOVER MESSE 2020, processes and technologies that up
until quite recently were regarded as separate and distinct
will be showcased together in an integrated overview of
process flows and solutions. "In the current age of Industry
4.0, the focus is on flexible manufacturing, standalone yet
integrated machines and systems, and autonomous exchanges of
process information," said Hubertus von Monschaw, Global
Director Digital Ecosystems at Deutsche Messe. "And the key
to it all is the software that maps and manages these
processes. At HANNOVER MESSE, all theme areas relevant to
this will be clustered in the Digital Ecosystems display».
Among the exhibitors in this part of the show will be
big-name regulars like Autodesk , Atos, Amazon Web Services
, Cisco , Dassault , EPLAN , HUAWEI, Kaspersky, MPDV ,
Microsoft , PSI , SAP , Siemens PLM, Software AG and Telekom.
There will also be a number of prominent newcomers such as
Google , proAlpha , McAfee and Knapp . Their displays will
span a range of themes, including predictive maintenance,
machine learning, MES (manufacturing execution systems),
logistics (WMS and TMS), data analytics, CAD (computer-aided
design), PLM (product lifecycle management), business
platforms, ERP (enterprise resource planning) for real-time
monitoring, virtual/augmented reality and industrial
security.
At HANNOVER MESSE 2019, these themes attracted over 100,000
visitors. One key aspect common to all of them is increasing
convergence of applications and technologies. MES and data
analytics are a case in point. Manufacturing execution
systems (aka production control systems) are able to
function reliably only if their future performance can be
predictively modeled and analyzed using appropriate data
analytics such that improvements and checks can be
undertaken as appropriate. Monschaw explains: "Today’s MES
systems are about more than just fault analyses of
individual machines. They involve aggregating data in order
to identify scope for optimization and even develop entirely
new business models."
The convergence of once separate areas of technology is also
very clear from CAD, PLM and business platforms. Whereas
only a few years ago CAD software was primarily about
designing individual work-pieces and machine parts, there
are now companies providing software platforms that model
and manage entire value chains from design and parts
procurement right through to final quality control. Dassault
Système s is such a company. Its solutions enable
collaboration across internal users and external suppliers
and partners. "We’re not a CAD or PLM provider," says
Director Marketing EuroCentral Annegret Cox. "We map entire
product development processes. That includes generating
initial product ideas, pre-production preparation and
selling the completed product – all on the one software
platform."
ERP (enterprise resource planning) is another exciting focus
of software convergence. At HANNOVER MESSE 2020, providers
will present examples and use cases demonstrating how
mechanical engineering and other firms can now leverage ERP
tools in completely new ways. Predictive ERP, for example,
is sparking more and more interest. It enables manufacturers
to predict possible events and initiate the necessary
measures and countermeasures. Integrated with the
appropriate process models, predictive ERP systems can
facilitate better decision-making by running simulations of
even the most complex scenarios.
Virtual and augmented reality are likewise being more
commonly used in industrial applications. Take the design of
powertrains, for example. It used to take engineers days to
calculate all the parameters of a given design, but now,
with the aid of algorithms, they can generate as many as
2,000 designs in the same timeframe. The designs can then be
imported as 3D models into a VR lab, where everything, right
down to the very last bolt and washer, can be disassembled,
analyzed, adjusted and re-assembled.
Industrial Security is an extremely important and relevant
section of the Digital Ecosystems showcase, particularly in
today’s interconnected industrial world, with Emotet and its
ilk lurking in the digital undergrowth. Modern industry,
where the digital integration of devices and production
machinery has grown massively and will continue to do so, is
exposed to a more or less constant risk of cyberattack. No
one is immune to these risks, as today’s continual stream of
reports of targeted attacks on businesses and government
agencies shows. The upcoming HANNOVER MESSE will therefore
present the best available solutions for organizations to
safeguard themselves against cyberattacks.
