Trade Fairs

IFA 2023

IFA remains at Messe Berlin as new chapter begins

1-5 September 2023, Berlin

Berlin’s IFA 2023 is now the responsibility of IFA Management GmbH – a new joint venture founded by gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH together with Clarion Events Ltd, one of the world’s leading independent event organisers.

Taking place at the Messe Berlin Exhibition Grounds from 1 to 5 September, IFA 2023 is paralleling the progress of technology in the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show. It brings together the latest innovative tech, global players and the most radical thinkers in the industry while evolving the event to reflect current trends in the industry. Only IFA offers such a comprehensive overview of the international market and attracts the attention of more than 150,000 trade visitors from more than 130 countries. IFA 2023 helps more than 2,000 companies to strengthen relationships, showcase their brands to tech leaders and buyers, and launch new products to thousands of retailers and distributors.

IFA show areas include Home & Entertainment, Audio, Communication and Connectivity, Computing and Gaming, Image and Video, Household Appliances, Mobility, Fitness and Digital Health, Global Markets (Europe’s biggest B2B sourcing platform for OEMs and ODMs), IFA Next (showcasing the next generation of startups), House of Robots, and Sustainability Village.

As the trade show enters its 99th year, IFA 2023 is refocusing on the foundations of where the event has come from, while looking towards its 100th year and beyond. The objective is to turn the event not only into a once-a-year meeting, but also to create a 365-engagement strategy of in-person and digital offerings, with a particular focus on adding more innovative products and experiences to the event for B2B trade visitors, key retailers, buyers and experts from the industry and the media.

Through the new “The Retailer is King” programme, IFA 2023 is looking to more effectively target retailers and buying groups, seeing as they are “a key conduit of all of our messaging as well as understanding what is going on in the market.”

Immerse yourself in a world of technological marvels at our five-day event. More details on IFA are available at https://www.ifa-berlin. com/. For further information, please contact the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce’s official representative for Messe Berlin GmbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by telephone at +66 2 055 0641 or by e-mail at berlin@gtcc.org.

Powtech 2023

26-28 September 2023, Nuremberg

From 26 to 28 September 2023, numerous international experts in mechanical processing, bulk solids and conveying technology will once again gather at POWTECH and visitors from all around the world will be looking forward to a wide-ranging programme. Around 600 exhibitors will showcase the latest solutions for processing solids and liquids. The extensive supporting programme with new offerings from forums and special shows will offer visitors even more wide-ranging sources of inspiration.

This year, the parallel PARTEC scientific congress with more than 400 participants will once again be a special highlight of the event. The planning for the exhibition, congress and many accompanying attractions is currently in full swing. New and established exhibitors alike can build on the sound advice provided by the inspired POWTECH team.

In September 2023, POWTECH in Nuremberg will once again become the hotspot for process engineers and technicians from Europe and many other international markets. In the exhibition halls, more than 600 exhibitors will present their innovations for the handling, manufacture and processing of powders, bulk solids and liquids. Hands-on exhibits and experts with sound experience and the latest knowhow will again provide the perfect backdrop for developing detailed practical solutions, customised services and integrated processes in conjunction for, and with, visitors.

EUROPEAN TRADE FAIR WITH INTERNATIONAL PULLING POWER

Heike Slotta, Executive Director Exhibitions, is confident that “not only are we going to welcome numerous visitors from Europe – POWTECH also has enormous pulling power in the world’s key processing markets such as the USA, China, Brazil and Japan. We expect an excellent calibre of visitors in decision-making roles, as well as industry experts, which goes hand-in-hand with a significant increase in visitor numbers.” Both the exhibitor and visitor numbers at POWTECH can be relied on, as they are verified by the FKM (Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics) in a process that many trade fair organisers voluntarily take part in. Only registered visitors appearing on-site per trade fair day are counted, irrespective of the halls visited or the numbers passing through the turnstiles. Exhibitors’ stand personnel are also not included.

PARTEC – PARTICLE TECHNOLOGY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF RESEARCH

This year, too, the PARTEC congress, which takes place parallel to POWTECH at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, will also boost visitor numbers. The international scientific congress for particle technology, sponsored by the VDI Association of Process and Chemical Engineering (GVC), ensures regular dialogue between researchers, graduates and development engineers – while giving POWTECH a special flair and an extra, exclusive audience. Quite a few of the 400 or so congress participants and young professionals in attendance also make a point of visiting the stands of specific exhibiting companies.

For more details about POWTECH, please contact Mr. Nupat Khusribanchong, official German-Thai Chamber of Commerce representative for NürnbergMesse GmbH in Thailand, by telephone at +66 2 055 0643 or by e-mail at nuernberg@gtcc.org

EMO HANNOVER

18-23 September 2023, Hannover

European manufacturing companies are faced with multiple challenges when competing internationally. The hurdles that have to be overcome range from high energy and personnel costs to shortages of skilled workers and unstable supply chains for a wide variety of components. However, these very same difficulties are also giving rise to some remarkable innovations. The smart use of digitalization – including artificial intelligence – in combination with robotics and automation solutions can bring about major leaps in productivity and help raise competitiveness on a long-term basis. Cutting-edge solutions will be on show at the EMO Hannover 2023, the world's leading trade fair for production technology. Practical examples from industry and research show the most effective ways of combining the different technologies.

HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE PLATFORM FOR INFORMATION EXCHANGE

For Maschinenfabrik Berthold Hermle AG from Gosheim, EMO Hannover is the international trade fair for engineering in 2023. The main topics – especially for Hermle – are digitalization and automation.

"Despite the continuous flow of new trends, we always put our customers – and their wide-ranging requirements – first," reports Udo Hipp, Head of Marketing. "Especially in our growth areas, which involve high levels of automation, we often have to consider the aspects of Industry 4.0 and the digitalization of our products. Here we offer solutions in the form of digital modules such as Digital Production, Digital Service and Digital Operation – with each module interlocking with the others. For example, the Digital Operation module provides machine tuning, permitting dynamic adaptation of the controller parameters and intelligent processing setups. The Digital Production module contains various tool and information management and automation control systems. The Digital Service module includes remote maintenance, diagnostic and monitoring systems.

"That's a whole bunch of digitalization components we are able to offer our customers," says Hipp. "At EMO Hannover 2023 we will be showcasing permanent digitalization and a number of automation solutions, including robotic and handling systems adapted to our machining centres.

One of our priorities is ensuring that our automation solutions are easy to integrate into areas and industries that have not yet given much thought to these processes. It is this very shortage of skilled workers – a frequently heard topic of discussion at present – that is forcing us and our customers to invest in sophisticated automation solutions combined with highly efficient machining centres, ideally all from a single source. We are hoping to see large numbers of high-calibre visitors at EMO Hannover 2023, and we’re also hoping that the event will serve as a platform for an intensive exchange of information and for new projects.”

FLEXIBLE AND AUTOMATED LOADING

The manufacturing industry, especially the machining industry, is currently having to contend with decreasing batch sizes and increasing levels of variance in parts. The situation is further exacerbated by the shortage of skilled workers in all areas. This is forcing companies to keep their machines in operation for as long as possible. One solution offered by automation experts Schunk GmbH & Co. KG, based in Lauffen am Neckar, Germany, is automated pallet handling. This allows systems to be loaded around the clock, even in small-batch and single-part production and with minimum staffing levels. around the clock, even in small-batch and single-part production and with minimum staffing levels.

The system consists of a palletizer module and robot coupling for automated loading. The workpieces and clamping devices are set up on clamping pallets, magazined and successively loaded onto the machining centre from the pallet magazine. On the bottom of the pallets there is a uniform interface to the zero-point clamping system. Similar to an adapter, it connects the machine to a wide variety of workpieces. The pallet systems also have a side interface that allows the pallets to connect securely to a robot or gantry. The southern German company has developed a new generation of power clamping blocks for automated clamping of workpieces in the machine. "The robot and Schunk gripper can then directly load and unload the centric clamping vices and workpieces," explains Markus Michelberger, Head of Sales Clamping Technology at the company's site in Mengen. "At EMO Hannover, we will be showcasing further automation and digitalization options in machining as well as new developments in the field of sustainable, resource-saving clamping equipment."

AI MEETS DIGITAL TWINS

Although feed drives rarely fail, they can cause high costs in production when they do. In its Kidz project, iwb is conducting research into how predictive maintenance can be implemented by combining algorithms and traditional machine tool models, even in cases where only a few failures have been observed. The background is that feed drives have a considerable influence on the productivity of machine tools. On the one hand, such failures are time-consuming and costly to repair, while on the other hand, they significantly influence the machine dynamics and thus the actual metal removal rate. Switching to a predictive maintenance strategy therefore offers great economic potential. However, there is currently no comprehensive system on the market that only uses existing sensors to monitor and predict the condition of feed drive components of producing machine tools.

The Kidz project is therefore carrying out research into a hybrid system for predictive maintenance. It combines a digital twin with modern AI methods. "In contrast to purely data-driven approaches, the hybrid system can work with much less training data in the form of failure observations – which are difficult to obtain in the case of machine tools," says Michael Zäh, Professor of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Technology at the iwb within TU Munich, emphasizing a key aspect. "At the same time, this approach allows a certain degree of interpretability with regard to its predictions, since wear cannnot only be detected globally via the digital twin, but also assigned to specific feed drive components.

"External additional sensors can then largely be dispensed with, and only internal signals used. Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH from Asbach-Bäumenheim is involved in the project, and its machine will eventually be used to demonstrate the functionality of the system. "EMO Hannover 2023 offers an excellent platform for the international exchange of views on the various technical aspects for optimal solutions," concludes Professor Michael Zäh.

INNOVATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS

"EMO Hannover is the number one platform for innovations," confirms Stefan Raff, Head of Sales Robomachines at Fanuc Europe - Fanuc Deutschland GmbH, based in Neuhausen auf den Fildern. "Which is why it’s only natural that Fanuc is featuring two European premieres involving robomachines in Hanover. However, I can't reveal any more at this point." Overall, Fanuc will be moving in a new direction at the next EMO. Instead of focusing only on its own CNC controls and machines, Fanuc will now also be presenting complete packages to visitors, such as a system for manufacturing automotive parts. The specific demands of electric vehicles have brought about a change in the design of manufacturing facilities. There is a greater need for flexible manufacturing equipment, for instance. Criteria such as TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) and ROI (Return on Investment) are playing a greater role than ever.

"In addition, we are seeing further growth in demand for process solutions – a trend that has now well and truly taken hold," Raff notes. "The European Development Center we have set up in Neuhausen will support the design of such solutions based on European standards." This gives added weight to the company’s claim that "Fanuc puts customer requirements at the heart of its R&D". One such example – and representative of many other solutions – is the development and testing of extreme applications such as power skiving on Fanuc machines.

"A crucial factor, we believe, is having up-to-date equipment for initial and further training," emphasizes Stefan Raff. "Automation is certainly needed as a means of coping with labour shortages in general and the lack of skilled staff in particular –but so. too, is the early and comprehensive incubation of young talent. Therefore, for the first time, Fanuc will be exhibiting an ‘Education cell’ at EMO, consisting of a machine, a robot and a complete training package. There will certainly be plenty of innovations on show at EMO Hannover 2023. Personally, though, I'm looking forward to the direct contact, especially with international visitors, which we've all missed for so long."

The effective linking of automation, robotics and digitalization represents an established solution when it comes to optimizing process flows in the production environment, and now this approach is increasingly being enriched by digital twins and artificial intelligence. All the big names will be at EMO Hannover 2023 to present their latest solutions and to gather ideas and forge partnerships for their own optimization efforts. Hanover thus offers companies a globally unique opportunity to put themselves far ahead of the competition.

iba 2023: The World’s Leading Trade Fair for the Baking and Confectionery Industry

22-26 October 2023, Munich

Widely known as the world's leading trade fair for bakery, confectionery and snacks, iba offers a unique platform where the latest trends and innovations in the industry are presented. It not only impresses international exhibitors who can present themselves and make new contacts by means of innovative participation opportunities, but also provides the trade fair audiences with a unique cross-section of the entire trade, from raw materials manufacturers and packaging technology to traditional crafts and digitalization.

Held every three years, iba will open its doors to invite the world’s bakers to gather at the Fairground Munich from 22 to 26 October 2023. It will be presenting itself with its familiar product portfolio and the same high quality across 10 halls. What is new is the halls will be grouped according to topic, thus creating a good overview of what is on offer and the best possible orientation on site.

From 2023, the iba.TOPICS will consist of the usual product range and the newly introduced focus topics. These are food trends, artisan bakery, health and sustainability as well as digitalisation, complete solutions and quality management. These topics highlight the most important trends in the industry, combining supply and demand as well as looking towards the future.

The topic of food trends, for example, is about how the food culture is developing, what new products the global baking industry is presenting and what possibilities alternative ingredients offer. In the area of artisan bakery, everything revolves around traditional and modern crafts, vocational training and culture. Health deals with eating habits – the need for fresh, balanced, varied and high-quality food is also a key aspect of new business models and aligning the focus on changing customer needs.

Sustainability is another focus topic. Themes here include the use of regional and seasonal products, the possibility of ecological packaging and energy and resource-saving production.

Digitalisation – everyone wants to be ready for tomorrow, today! iba presents new ways and methods for the baking industry, from process optimization and automation through artificial intelligence to the possibility of increasing customer loyalty through new sales channels and direct communication.

Another focus will be on how turnkey solutions are important for production. They can increase efficiency, quality management and sustainability. Complete solutions, from harvesting to the sale of processed food, will be presented.

More details about iba are available at https: //www.iba.de/en/. For further information, please contact the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce’s official representative for Messe München GmbH and GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH in Thailand, Ms. Patamaporn Wasuwat, by telephone at +66 2 055 0641 or by email at muenchen@ gtcc.org