Lenze is making steady strides towards the digitalization of industry – human-robot collaboration

The convergence of traditional manufacturing technologies and information and communication technologies represented by Industry 4.0 is the focus of this year's trade fair. The hundreds of Industry 4.0 applications on display tell people that the digital industrial era has arrived. The 2016 Hannover Messe (Hannover Messe) ended on the 29th. According to the organizer Germany Messe, the number of visitors to this year's industrial fair is about 190,000, of which about 6,000 are from China, second only to the host Germany.
Lenze is making steady strides towards the digitalization of industry – human-robot collaboration

Lenze is making steady strides towards the digitalization of industry – human-robot collaboration

However, there is still a long way to go from local application to full implementation of Industry 4.0, and issues such as the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises, the retraining of skilled workers, the protection of data and information security, the protection of legal and environmental protection, the development of new business models and the development of standards need to be addressed urgently. In order to solve these problems as soon as possible, in-depth international cooperation is the general trend in the new round of industrial revolution. Johann Kockler, Member of the Board of Directors of Deutsche Messe AG, said that the innovative forces of Germany, ·United States, China, Japan and the European Union collide in Hannover to move towards a digital future.

From the ballpoint pen production line displayed at the University of Hannover to the scissor production line displayed by the company Aberg in Germany, visitors can get up close and personal with the intelligent production process of Industry 4.0 and even participate in it, and finally get personalized products that are individually customized.

In the interview experience, the reporter found that according to customer needs, it is one of the application characteristics of Industry4.0 to continuously output products with different configurations on the same production line and improve production flexibility. Customizing personalized products is as easy as shopping online, making choices with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, frequent errors on the production line have resulted in a long list of experienced people waiting to "pick up".

With the convergence of IoT, cloud computing, and traditional manufacturing technologies, the risk of failure also increases. Industry 4.0 wants to save costs and increase efficiency, but the marginal benefits of highly connected and digitized industrial production can be greatly affected if the reliability is insufficient. At this exhibition, more exhibitors showcased the leap in local hardware and software technologies and the new solutions developed as a result, a large number of new solutions are the basis for the comprehensive digitalization blueprint of the industry in the future.

In the era of the digital industry, where should skilled workers go? In the interview, the reporter found that man-machine cooperation is the selling point of many exhibited technologies or products. For example, ABB Group of Switzerland demonstrated the dual-arm industrial robot Bai Weiling, and Bosch Group of Germany demonstrated the flexible programmable robot APAS. These robots are assistants to skilled workers, doing repetitive "dirty work", reducing the burden on skilled workers and ensuring "safe interaction" with workers.

From an intelligent Industry 4.0 production line, manual workstations still exist. For example, the ballpoint pen production line displayed at the University of Hannover requires the experiencer to participate in the operation of the manual workstation, such as polishing the details of the barrel, assembling the refill and barrel, etc. Researchers at the University of Hannover say that manual stations are not reserved because machines can't do it, but because of cost and flexibility. Tilo, a spokesman for Bosch Group's Industry 4.0, told reporters that economic benefits are an important consideration for enterprises, and the adaptability of robots is not as good as manpower, so there will still be workers in digital factories, but with the help of auxiliary equipment, their work intensity will be reduced and their accuracy will be improved.

In order for skilled workers to better adapt to the development of Industry 4.0, it is increasingly important to strengthen education and training. Some experts pointed out that lifelong education is very important for the full realization of Industry 4.0. ABB Group CEO Shi pointed out that with the advent of the digital industry, some jobs will disappear, but at the same time, new jobs will be created. "It is very important for workers to transition from disappearing jobs to new ones through timely education and training."

In the era of digital industry, it is urgent to attract more small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in it, which is also a hot topic of this expo. But Vanka, Germany's Federal Minister of Education and Research, points out that SMEs are not sure whether they will be able to adapt to Industry 4.0.

On the other hand, with the development of new technologies and new products, the threshold for small and medium-sized enterprises to join Industry 4.0 has been lowered, and many solutions are compatible with existing production lines, so there is no need for small and medium-sized enterprises to open new stoves. For example, ABB Group showcased sensors that can be used in a wide range of industrial motors; Bosch Rexroth presented solutions that can be used not only for completely new equipment, but also for intelligent "retrofitting" of existing equipment. Haoting Germany won the Technology Innovation Award at this year's Industry Fair for its Modular Industrial Computing Architecture (MICA) platform, making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to join the Industry 4.0 environment.

Industry 4.0 will bring disruptive changes to the entire industrial value chain, which is the general consensus expressed by all parties at the expo. In the context of globalization, a new round of industrial revolution may bring about the adjustment of the global division of labor, and the final realization of industrial digital transformation must rely on in-depth international cooperation. Vanke said that China is an important partner of Germany's Industry 4.0 platform.

Whether it is exhibitors or visitors, China is the second largest country after the host Germany, which shows the willingness and ability of Chinese enterprises to actively participate in international cooperation on industrial digitalization. For example, Huawei showcased its innovative ICT products and solutions together with 11 customers or partners, including SAP and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft of Germany.

He Liyang, President of Huawei's Enterprise Business Group for Western Europe, said that the European manufacturing industry is very advanced, but it still needs reliable partner support in the process of digital upgrading. As an information infrastructure solution provider, Huawei can provide a wide range of products and services, and has established a network of industry partners around the world, which is where Huawei's competitiveness lies.

Kockler said that the number of Chinese exhibitors is increasing, reflecting the confidence of Chinese companies to participate in international competition. The large number of Chinese exhibitors and visitors shows that China values the latest technology.

Lenze is making steady strides towards the digitalization of industry – human-robot collaboration

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