Innovation high lights
Current and future technology for every industry

The Hannover Fair has been and continues to be the world’s major technology event. Nearly everybody who is anybody in the industrial automation market will be there, and there are also ten other world-class fairs ranging from coating technology to power technology.

Sepp D. Heckmann, Chariman of the Executive Committee at Deutsche Messe A.G., is obviously satisfied that “people understand the changes which have taken place at the Hannover Fair. We have gotten the message across that automation will be a central theme at the fair in the future.” Exhibition space has increased significantly from 143,416 m2 in 2004 to 200,000 m2 this year. Probably no other fair in the world offers such a broad spectrum. On April 11th – 16th, more than 6,000 exhibitors from 60 countries will present their latest technology. Professional visitors at eleven world-class fairs will have the opportunity to look at solutions for every branch of industry ranging from research and industrial automation to power engineering. The list of fairs is as follows: Interkama+, Factory Automation, Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA), Digital Factory, MicroTechnology, Research & Technology, Energy, ComVac, SurfaceTechnology and Powder Coating Europe, Subcontracting and Industrial Services & Equipment.

Industry days have been introduced this year to help visitors find their way through the wealth of topics in their industry. The spotlight will be on mechanical and plant engineering (April 11th, 2005), the automotive and component supply industry (April 12th, 2005), the chemical and pharmaceutical industry (April 13th, 2005), buyer’s day (April 13th, 2005), the food, drinks and tobacco industry (April 14th, 2005), electrical engineering/electronics (April 15th, 2005) and careers development and training (April 15th, 2005).
New applications for traditional technology
There will also be some new developments. As the traditional robotics markets such as the automotive, metal working and plastics industries are now well serviced, a new user center has been set up to address other markets. System houses and manufacturers will have the opportunity in Hall 17 to show new innovative robotics applications for the food industry, the drinks industry and the materials industry, etc. Presentations aimed at practitioners and engineers will be given on a variety of vacuum applications, and visitors can find out more about the increasing integration of compressed air and vacuum technology. There is also the Energy@Industry special show, which will give members of the ZVEI CF Contracting Forum together with users the opportunity to present contracting solutions that are already being used in practical application.
The world of automation
The integration of Interkama into the Hannover Fair did not meet with universal acclaim. However, many exhibitors and visitors are satisfied with the new arrangement. Namur, which sponsors Interkama, was concerned last year that some of the global players in the process automation industry were not represented at the Hannover Fair. However, Yokogawa of Japan which is one of the leaders in the international automation market will be back this year. Users from the process industry can expect to get a comprehensive look at key themes which include process control systems, sensors, analysis technology and actuators. Visitors will be able to experience a broad spectrum of process and production automation. Volker Oestreich, Director of the Profibus User Group, emphasizes the advantage of integrating Interkama and Factory Automation into the Hannover Fair. “The Fair presents the complete world of automation, meeting the needs of both exhibitors and visitors.”
Noticeable steps have been taken to facilitate the integration of the two industries. New transparent access routes have been created from Hall 7 to Hall 8 and from there on to Hall 9. The intention is to ensure a smooth visitor flows in both directions. The “Automation Highway” will demonstrate how the production and process automation industries are converging. The economic recovery in the industry is providing added stimulus to this constellation. “The automation technology market is now humming along at growth rates between six and eight percent,” explained Michael Ziesemer, a member of the Management Committee in the Automation Trade Group at the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association (ZVEI), which is located in Frankfurt am Main. Mr. Ziesemer is also head of Instrumentation and Process Automation at Endress+Hauser International Holding. “This represents overall progress when you consider that business had been declining since the spring of 2001 and the market was sluggish in 2002 and 2003. An analysis of world markets indicates that the situation should stabilize despite many uncertainties.” The emerging markets in China, India, Russia, Southeast Asia and Latin America are driving growth.
However, business is strong in the US as well. Europe is lagging behind, but is showing a modest two to four percent growth rate. Familiar technology will be on display in Hannover alongside new technologies. One example of this is wireless technology including Bluetooth, WLan and ZigBee, which to an increasing extent is replacing traditional industrial communications. Exhibition space at the center of the automation area in Hall 7 will be dedicated to Wireless Automation. This is a technology which shows great future potential. The spotlight will be on solutions such as wireless operating and monitoring, control equipment configurations that are not cable based and the use of mobile radio technology in remote monitoring applications. Radio-based communications is a key technology for moving subsystems such as screens which are used in water treatment plants. Dieter Westerkamp, who is Director of the VDI/VDE company GMA, is convinced that virtually any type of industrial system could benefit from today’s communication technology. Wireless communication has the potential to make process automation much easier. However, this is certainly not the only technology which visitors will have an opportunity to see and which will make an important contribution to progress in the field of automation.