From ice cream machines to wheel loaders: the spectrum of engineering products is as broad as the market itself. However, nearly all producers are facing the same major challenges: modernizing production, developing strategies to combat the shortage of skilled workers, implementing solutions for a more circular economy and improved resource efficiency. Under the banner of “Innovate Manufacturing”, EMO Hannover 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for production technology, will be offering engineering companies a wide range of inspiring innovations and solutions. Furthermore, companies will also be able to find suitable partners at the EMO who can provide expert support for their modernization processes. This saves time and minimizes investment risks.
Embracing new technologies
It is now crucial for the sector as a whole – and not just small and mediumsized enterprises – to embrace new technologies and solutions. Ideally, these should be scalable, have already proven their effectiveness, and raise efficiency levels right from the outset. EMO offers direct access to the leading manufacturers and suppliers of customized production solutions in engineering, and showcases advances in metalworking. Visitors can experience machine tools in action at the fair. They can discuss and confer with industry experts and specialists on the trade fair stands as well as in presentations, workshops and live demonstrations.
“The EMO is unique among the trade fairs in presenting the entire metalworking value chain – from machine tools, production systems and additive processes through to precision tools, automation, metrology, quality assurance, software and accessories,” emphasizes Dr. Markus Heering, Executive Director of EMO organizer VDW (German Machine Tool Builders‘ Association). The EMO motto “Innovate Manufacturing.” is therefore more than just a slogan, says Heering, it is a call to suppliers and users to be bold in exploiting the possibilities opened up by the new technologies.
Digitalization is revolutionizing engineering
This applies in particular to the megatrends of automation, digitalization and artificial intelligence. Advancing digitalization is revolutionizing engineering, the VDW believes. A decisive factor here is the networking of all machines in the process chain. The opportunity to experience this live is what makes EMO unique. Machine tools now come pre-equipped with extensive sensor and monitoring systems. Exhibitors need to dispel trade visitors’ concerns about the possible loss of data sovereignty or the threat of cyberattacks. The exhibiting companies believe it is important to facilitate the transition to data-driven production. Systems that run exclusively on or in individual machines and within the customer’s own network will be on display. It is entirely up to us-ers to decide whether they allow the exchange of data – for example, with external parties, such as the machine manufacturer or partners in or outside the value chain, either now or at some point in the future. Genuine added value is created when maintenance cycles can be predicted, downtimes can be minimized, or data for documenting the carbon footprint within the supply chain can be issued at the touch of a button.
Machine learning, a sub-area of artificial intelligence, opens up a new dimension of self-organizing production. This allows companies to respond more flexibly to changes in the market and to individual customer demands. It is a crucial prerequisite for maintaining innovativity and competitiveness in the long term.
Addressing skilled labor shortages
Digitalization and automation of production can be combined with strategies aimed at countering the shortage of skilled workers in engineering. Automated assistance systems, for instance, can support machine operators while simul-taneously increasing productivity, quality and efficiency. In addition to technical solutions, EMO is also addressing the question of how the training programs for the next generation of skilled workers can best be adapted to meet the latest requirements regarding technological development, digitalization and artifi-cial intelligence.
The changes affecting engineering also include sustainability. More and more countries are taking measures to protect the climate and invest in the green transformation of their industry. In production, there is a stronger focus on con-suming resources more sparingly, using energy-efficient machines and pro-duction processes, and setting up circular economies for products and materi-als. As the VDW reports, immensely high visitor interest in this topic was already apparent at EMO 2023. The Sustainability Area at EMO 2025 will pro-vide a focal point for modern solutions aimed at bringing about the sustainable production of the future and at answering visitors‘ questions. This is a topic which is clearly at the top of the agenda when it comes to the modernization of production.
Author: Cornelia Gewiehs