How will look the future in production engineering? Anyone looking for an answer, you should go to Hannover for the EMO, the leading international trade fair for the metal industry. Insa Wrede reported.
So innovative you like to listen to, new you are not. For years, the phrases digitization, networking, the Internet of things, industry 4.0, Artificial intelligence, fall again and again. This time, however, the smart machines had arrived really in reality, writes EMO General Commissioner Carl Martin Welcker. And these machines will be shown at EMO, the world’s leading trade fair for the metal industry.
Since the engineering industry is the backbone of the German economy, came to the opening of the exhibition in the lower Saxony Prime Minister Stephan Weil and the German Federal Minister for transport and digital infrastructure, Andreas Scheuer. The latter does not succeed, however, in time – debt, Deutsche Bahn had been so shy. The ICE, in the Scheuer wanted to arrive, was due to a technical defect.
Laser show and dancers in bright suits to make the topic of machine tool at the launch event, modern, and young.
Gone are the Golden times for the first time?
Because at the EMO machine tool manufacturers from all over the world to exhibit and many of the contracts are closed, the exhibition as a kind of early indicator for the state of the economy. At the last EMO in 2017 contracts to the value of eight billion euros were signed. This corresponds to almost one third of the annual turnover of the machine tool industry. This year, there might be less reason to Cheer.
After the machine tool industry enjoyed eight years of economic boom, has cooled down now. We are still cautiously optimistic for the further months, said the head of the industry Association of the machine tool manufacturers (VDW), Wilfried Schäfer. But: “The mechanical engineering industry in Germany has predicted a decline in production for this year, the company are currently investing cautiously.” The order intake in the machine tool manufacturers had decreased in the first half of 2019, around one-fifth.
Parts of an aircraft nozzle to digital to be processed more easily.
The EMO, however, is more than an economic indicator, it also shows on which production techniques of the company in the future. Such a driver could be “umati”.
No “tower of Babel”-Chaos in the production
What sounds like a new Sushi-style, is in reality a new machine language. Because factories, intelligent machines and tools, smart can communicate with each other, it needs a common, simple and universally usable language. According to the industry Association, the machine tool builders VDW, then this language of “umati” (universal machine tool interface) is. At the last EMO two years ago, the project “umati” was initiated. Since then, various machine tool manufacturers are working to develop this language.
Now, it is far – at this year’s EMO, it is shown that “machines from different manufacturers with ‘umati’ safe, seamless and effortlessly with the IT systems of the customer connect,” says Götz Görisch from the VDW. He expects that “umati” will be the beginning of the next year.
Abroad, great interest in the machine language is. Thus, tool support machinery associations from China, great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Taiwan, as well as the European machine tool Association Cecimo, the project.
The future is shaped by KI
Not only in space, also in the automotive industry, Artificial intelligence for the design of components is used. The country module “Curiosity”, which in 2012 landed on Mars was formed, nor in the mind of a designer, such as the auto parts is there to see on the Stand of the company Autodesk.
Cooperation with Nasa: The Rover “Curiosity”, which landed in 2012 on the Mars was developed with Artificial intelligence.
The designer would merely specify the objectives and limitations of the components. He will give, for example, which pressures would have to endure, the part which materials or manufacturing procedures should be used, told Guido Lieven, who works in sales, Autodesk.
The Computer then begins to count and spit out a whole series of possible Alternatives from which the designer then the best you can choose. The result is delicate, and organically grown. Internal lattice structures make such components more stable and lighter than conventional solutions. And 3-D printing allows to produce such unconventional components. However, this takes time and is suitable for mass production, therefore not suitable.
Less CO2 in the form of honing
In Hannover but it’s not just new developments. It is also important to improve existing machines by innovations. How? You can see that in the case of Gehring. The company not only offers procedures for electric motors, but also for internal combustion engines. “Because we have developed technologies that reduce friction in the engine to partially ten percent or more, and reduce both emissions and fuel consumption,” says Joachim Jäckl, head of marketing at Gehring.
Here are exaggerated: The cylinder is produced, “deformed”, so he is under stress as cylindrical.
By so-called form, honing the cylinder to be optimized. The Background: If cylinders heat up in the engine, it may come at certain Points to deformations. These deformations are taken into account in the manufacture of the cylinder by the cylinder is not so produced, he is in a cold state completely around. He heats up during operation, it is deformed in such a way that he is almost perfectly cylindrical. With such cylinders, the Oil – and fuel consumption can be reduced in engines and as a result also the CO2 emissions are reduced.
More than 2,100 exhibitors from 47 countries show until Sunday at the EMO in their developments.