EXHIBITION PREVIEW DIGITAL MOVE
an overview of the company’s start hole
drilling EDM machine she explains is
focused on “providing precision and
excellence”.
Other companies giving presentations,
included Wenzel Group GmbH & Co; Belki
Filtertechnik; VBN Components; Datron AG;
Vargus Deutschland; Di Piu Systems; E.
Zoller GmbH; Span ug Technologies GmbH;
EWM AG; Seyi Presses Europe; Formlabs;
Retosan Makina; Foxbase GmbH; Rego-Fix
AG; GOM GmbH; Prototec GmbH & Co;
Halter CNC Automation; OSG GmbH;
Systems; Oculavis GmbH; Muller
Maschinetechnik GmbH; MTE Deutschland;
Heinrich Kipp Werk GmbH & Co; and MHT
GmbH Merz & Haag.
DIGITAL TOOLS
Automation and digitalisation are set to be
key themes during the discussions at METAV
digital in March, as they have further
accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Automation experts from GE Digital, Open
Mind and Siemens will be revealing their
ideas and solutions for ef cient and futureproof
factories.
Speakers at a recent METAV reloaded
webinar highlighted different ways in which
production can be automated and
digitalised. Bernard Cubizolles, senior global
marketing manager of GE Digital, was
among those recommending the use of
digital tools: “They allow machine
manufacturers and their customers to use
data that was either not previously available
or was not being used.”
One of the questions asked by
participants in the virtual conference was
whether it is possible to integrate older
systems and machines. “Most applications
in Europe are indeed based on machines
that were installed and set up a long time
ago,” says Cubizolles. “Most IoT
technologies can integrate installations into
a global information system combining new
and old systems.”
Digital transformation requires greater
data analysis precision in order to
proactively manage plants and machines. Of
proven bene t in reducing these costs is the
introduction of digital twins of machines.
GE Digital is presenting developments
Siemens AG used
developed, tested and optimised completely
virtually before being ported to real
hardware,” said Josef Hammer, promotion
manager for machine tool systems.
The resulting digital twin, in conjunction
with the virtualisation of mechanical
systems in machines, opens up new
possibilities for the development,
result is a family of digital twins which
permits virtual mapping of the entire
response through to its control.
can yield signi cant increases in
new machine control panels.”
22 February 2021 | www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets
German market fall
During the METAV preview, Wilfried Schäfer,
executive director of the German Machine
Tool Builders’ Association (VDW), gave an
insight into how the pandemic has impacted
the machine tools industry in Germany.
In November, VDW reported in the third
quarter that incoming orders in the German
machine tool industry fell by 29 per cent
compared to the same period in 2019,
domestic orders fell by 26 per cent and
foreign orders dropped by 30 per cent.
The association also said incoming
orders fell by 33 per cent from January to
September, while domestic orders were 27
per cent below the previous year and foreign
orders posted 36 per cent less.
Schäfer says: “The crisis has had an
impact on our industry, but we had a drop
in incoming anyway, due to certain cyclical
developments in the automotive sector. This
continued this year with the crisis this year
and we lost another 10 per cent.
“In May and June, it was particularly down
but demand picked up after that and if there
is another lockdown that will have another
impact. on the industry.”
Speaking about the results previously,
he said the “second corona wave has fully
gripped the machine tool industry” and
VDW has revised its production forecast for
2020, forecasting there will be a decrease
HandlingTech Automations-
aimed at shortening the
introduction process.
These include ‘rapid
application development
tools’ which users can
deploy for continuous
improvement and
streamlining of their
production processes.
digital twins in the
development of a new
control system. “For the
rst time, a new
generation of CNCs has been
distribution and use of machine tools. The
machine tool – from its mechanics and
“New intelligent motion control functions
productivity,” says Hammer. “But ef ciency
is also linked to operation, which is why
March 2021 will also be about innovations
in the user interface in combination with
of around 30 per cent, which in production
volume, means a loss of about ve billion
euros.
Above: METAV digital is one part of a threepronged
concept towards virtual events and
in March it will include a virtual exhibition,
intelligent matchmaking and the web sessions
Right: German Machine Tool Builders’
Association (VDW) executive director Wilfried
Schäfer
2 3 – 2 6 M ARCH NETWORKING – three in one
/www.machinery.co.uk