Machinery World - September 2016

ABOUT AMB 2016
INTERNATIONAL –STUTTGART
More than 90,000 visitors and over 1,300 exhibitors are expected to attend AMB 2016 in
Stuttgart from 13 to 17 September. On approximately 105,000 square metres of exhibition
space, the exhibitors showcase innovations and further developments for metal-cutting and
metal-removing process machine tools, precision tools, measuring systems and quality
assurance, robots, workpiece and tool handling, industrial software & engineering,
components, assemblies and accessories. AMB 2016 is backed by the professional and
conceptual sponsors, the VDMA Precision Tools Association, the VDMA Software
Association and the Association of German Machine Tool Manufacturers (VDW).
AMB 2016: ROBOTS ON THE RISE
Expert interview with Professor
Dr.-Ing. Thomas Bauernhansl.
ROBOTS AT AMB
Robots are taking the production halls by
storm and are being integrated in machine
tools and automation systems to create plugand-play
modules. The increasing
networking and platform connection leads to
completely new control architectures. In
brief: The world of machine tools is
experiencing dramatic development. This
will trigger plenty of discussion between
exhibitors and visitors at AMB.
Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Bauernhansl,
Director of the Institute of Industrial
Manufacturing and Management (IFF) at
Universität Stuttgart, as well as the
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing
Engineering and Automation (IPA),
encourages people to take the developments
seriously and discuss them in an
opportunistic manner.
A robot still cannot replace the machine
tool. The robot can only assume non-core
processes of the machine. Examples include
handling activities, or supporting and
accompanying the employee who operates
the machine. Typical tasks are deburring,
positioning or changing workpieces. But the
robot will not do the actual machining or
metal cutting, because it doesn't possess the
required accuracy or dynamics. In the future,
however, the transition between machine
tool and portal robot could become more
fluid. Its flexibility and the extremely
advanced possibilities of programming
speak in favour of robots. The machine tool is
increasingly converging with the robot, they
no longer stand side by side as separate
components.
Commennted Dr-Ing Thomas
Bauernhansl: “We are noticing that the
machine tool competence among automation
manufacturers is increasing. They are
optimising the layout and system design. The
topic of flexibility plays a huge role, i.e. the
question of scalability from manual to semiautomated
to fully automated and viceversa.
This restricts the integrative approach
again somewhat. Components of machine
tools must be able to be replaced quickly. For
instance, integrating robots or palletising
systems quickly and also removing them
again. It is not only about versatility and
adaptability, but also about efficiency, i.e. the
topic of plug-and-produce by the machine
operator.
The classic control technology of the
machine tool is heading towards plug-andproduce.
Hard-wired hardware-based NC
systems no longer have a future. For plugand-produce
the respective components
need to be more intelligent, i.e. in the robot
arm, gripper, spindle, feed conveyor, etc.
These autonomous systems have their own
microcontrollers and register on a platform
via an interface. They communicate what
services they provide, and the employee at
the machine can then configure it to a smart
workflow. With the ever-increasing
bandwidth and latency of the networks, one
can outsource services from the machine tool
and offer them, for example, on cloud-based
platforms. In the end only a few tasks such as
security are still performed locally.
Functionality as a service is a big trend.
A question which will also be discussed
with great controversy at AMB: Where is
Germany on an international comparison?
This topic is gaining considerable
momentum in the USA, Japan, Korea and
now also in China. In Germany we need to
take this development seriously and deal
with the issue intensively. The surveys are
alarming, on the one hand 80 to 90 percent of
companies state they are affected by the
development, but only between ten and 20
percent of these companies are giving serious
thought to the matter. We have to do more,
become more determined and more
companies have to get involved in the
development. Above all we need to discuss
the matter in an opportunistic manner and
not only analyse the risks.
The manufacturers ABB Automation (Stand 5D32), Erowa System Technologies (Stand 7C77),
Fanuc Germany (Stand 7B51), Kuka Roboter (Stand 8A69) and Mitsubishi Electric Europe
(Stand 5D74) present their latest generations of robots at AMB in Stuttgart. Over 30 exhibitors
showcase handling and automation solutions with robotics.
AMB:
REORIENTATION
AFTER
BREXIT
After the Brexit shock, the VDW (German
Machine Tool Builders' Association) above
all expects orientation from AMB, the
international exhibition for metal working,
from 13 to 17 September in Stuttgart. Dr.
Wilfried Schäfer, Director of the VDW, is
sure that this German showcase sector will be
able to maintain and extend its worldwide
leading position in the future too. In the
interview, he demands that politicians
reduce bureaucracy and increase research
funding for medium-sized companies. The
association will take part in AMB with the
"Special show for young people" of its VDW
young people's foundation in the atrium at
the East Entrance.
In Hall 4, the IndustryArena will
demonstrate a process chain in the
"Innovation Park" together with the control
system manufacturer Heidenhain. In the
associated technical forum, exhibitors will
provide information on software engineering
aspects of production.
Dr. Schäfer commenting on what Brexit
meant for the German machine tool industry
stated:
Politically, the British vote to leave the EU
is a shock. It will lead to general uncertainty
in the European economy and a loss of faith
on the part of international business partners.
It will depend to a large extent on the
timetable of events from now, and on how
fast the political leaders are able to
successfully reassure markets and investors.
To a certain extent, these factors will also
determine whether the German machine tool
industry will be able to achieve its growth in
production of one per cent in the current
year. Last year, Great Britain was the 11th
most important market for the sector, with a
trade volume of around 313 million Euro.
There is also concern regarding the smooth
exchange of products and services between
German manufacturers and their British
subsidiaries. Quite a few companies have
invested in the UK trusting in stable
framework conditions. The conditions under
which their business model will function in
the future is so far completely unclear.
The medium-sized machine tool
manufacturers would benefit if public funds
for research were increased. At present, there
is inadequate funding of larger mediumsized
companies of between 500 and 2000
employees, which is the typical size of
companies in the machine tool industry.
They do not come within the EU definition of
medium-sized companies, so are off the
radar of all programmes.
Full interviews are available at: Email: www.messe-stuttgart.de/ amb/journalisten/
26 Machinery World, September 2016