I’m writing these lines on the last day of Hannover Messe, sitting on the train, feeling overwhelmed but honestly also a bit exhausted from the many impressions, experiences, and conversations I’ve had over the past few days. From taking a ‘10,000 meter view’ all the way down to the bits of the PROFINET frame structure—it’s been an exciting journey!
The trends like AI and digital transformation are unmistakable. The motto of the fair, “SHAPING THE FUTURE WITH TECHNOLOGY” fits us perfectly—even though we weren’t asked ;). Our PI booth was modern and attracted many visitors with our entire technology portfolio, including both familiar and new exhibition models.
New Exhibition Model
A new machine building demonstration combined an advanced conveyor platform with a high-precision robot application. The conveyor platform is based on SuperTrak technology, which enables highly dynamic and precise movement through the use of magnet technology and boasts great flexibility as well. Here, individually controllable shuttles are moved on a transport rail by linear motors. The swivel arm robot is coordinated with these transport movements with a pick and place application. The integration of PROFINET, PROFIdrive and PROFIsafe ensures reliable and secure communication which forms the basis both in the individual sub-areas and in the interaction between components.
Equally important were the many conversations within the community, between the booth staff and visitors, as well as among the experts. These personal encounters replace many emails and are simply the best practice in our open community.
Innovation and Activities
I’d like to highlight two particular aspects: the annual node numbers and the presentation of our activities. It wasn’t surprising that we couldn’t top the great numbers from the 2023 count within the current macroeconomy, resulting in moderate growth. We are a mainstream technology and naturally follow the current economic situation. But the trend is positive, and innovations will support growth.
A good indicator of innovation is the number and scope of new specifications and corresponding tests, especially in important growth areas. Despite some challenges, we were able to achieve our planned goals both on schedule and technically, such as the SPE/APL extensions, which are now under review. (A colleague lost a bet but is happy about the result). In 2024, a total of 24 specifications and guidelines for PI technologies were published. In addition, six test specifications and 11 test tools/bundles were provided for quality assurance. This is a clear signal of a year of innovation and intensive cooperation.
Looking Ahead
These steps have been successfully completed, and the next tasks are ahead. We will continue to advance our technologies and develop the community. There will also be another Hannover Messe in 2026 with corresponding news.
I am convinced that we are on the right track, with the necessary speed, effort, and enthusiasm, even though it can be exhausting at times, but that’s just like in sports. Only in this way can we move forward and maintain our leading position.
Xaver Schmidt