GENERAL NEWS
Stepping into Industry 5.0
Trends in automation and robotisation , interactive shows , the latest solutions for factories of the future as well as hundreds of machines for manufacturing enterprises dominated the ITM Industry Europe trade show this year . The event at Poznań , Poland , from 4-7 June 2024 , was visited by 14,726 professionals eager to see products and technologies from over 700 exhibitors in ten exhibition halls .
“ Industry 4.0 , which we started talking about a decade ago , is now present in everyday life and was strongly visible at the trade show in the products and technologies presented . We can confidently say that we are starting the decade of Industry 5.0 . The biggest challenge will be to combine robotisation and automation with the human factor ,” said Filip Bittner , Vice-President , Grupa MTP , during the opening ceremony of the ITM Industry Europe , MODERNLOG and SUBCONTRACTING trade shows .
Twenty-two MTP Gold Medals were awarded to products submitted by exhibitors . Additionally , five of these awards were given to companies presenting their offers at MODERNLOG .
Hot debates at the trade show included how to convince companies to implement automation , how to calculate the carbon footprint in organisations and how to build a digital twin . There were also shows / displays at exhibitors ’ stands and special zones as well as workshops . Visitors learned about the technology of tomorrow in the ‘ Factory of the Future ’ event organised by DBR77 . Conversations on the Tech Stage included how a digital twin is created , how the marketplace can revolutionise resource management and the impact of artificial intelligence on factory operations .
The Zone of Collaborative Robots ( cobots ) was a novelty at this year ’ s ITM Industry Europe trade show . A Maintenance Services Tournament took place In the Pneumat .
Game Zone . Workshops on calculating , reporting and reducing carbon footprint , complete with a certificate for participants , were also organised by the Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology , in cooperation with the MTP Group .
The Science and Startups Zone was created by 15 universities that presented as many as 32 innovative solutions under the common slogan “ Science for industry in the digital era .”
The MM Speakers ’ Corner event was organised by the editorial office of MM Magazyn Przemysłowy . Discussions included the latest industry trends , automation and green transformation .
The title of Ambassador of the ITM Industry Europe trade show went to two companies ( EAGLE and GF Machining Solutions ). One hundred and twelve live subcontracting meetings , for over one hundred participants from thirteen countries , also took place during ITM Industry Europe .
The MODERNLOG exhibition provided the latest logistics technologies and live machine demonstratons offered by over 100 exhibitors . Modern improvements for a 21st century warehouse were demonstrated in a staged logistics facility . The second day of the trade show was the start of “ Smart Warehouse ”, a key warehouse conference in Poland . The opening ceremony was attended by Ignacy Niemczycki , Undersecretary of State of the Polish Ministry of Development and Technology . Visitors could also take part in the 2nd Edition of the Rack Conference of the Polish Association of Warehouse Technology .
The next edition of the ITM Industry Europe , MODERNLOG and SUBCONTRACTING trade shows is scheduled for 3-6 June 2025 . n
www
. itm-europe . pl
German machine tool orders
Orders received by the German machine tool industry in the first quarter of 2024 were 24 per cent down on the same period last year . Orders from Germany fell by two per cent whereas those from outside Germany dropped by 32 per cent .
“ The sector is currently experiencing a major shortfall in orders compared to the previous year . This is due in part to a base effect , as there were still significant levels of orders on hand at the beginning of 2023 ,” said Dr . Markus Heering , Executive Director of the VDW ( German Machine Tool Builders ’ Association ).
However , the VDW reported at the end of May that the first signs of stabilisation are currently emerging , although the coming months will prove decisive .
“ Our members are telling us that there is clear demand from customers in Germany , too , but that many investment decisions are currently being put on hold due to the high level of uncertainty ,” Heering continued .
“ Some indicators suggest that the situation could improve in the second half
Dr . Markus Heering . of the year . Lower inflation ; reduced energy prices ; the prospect of the first interest rate hikes ; the end of destocking ; improved economic indicators and higher real incomes which boost consumption could provide a basis for a return to higher investment ,” added the VDW on 27 May 2024 .
This analysis is also supported by the turnaround in the Global Purchasing Managers ’ Index , which returned to low-level growth at the beginning of the year .
For 2025 , Oxford Economics , the VDW ’ s forecasting partner , predicts a strong increase of 8.3 per cent in global machine tool consumption . In regional terms , the upturn is broad-based . India ; the ASEAN region ; the United States ; Mexico and Canada in particular are emerging as driving forces . A return to a clear upward trend , said VDW , can be expected in many European countries .
“ Rising international consumption could feed through to an increase in orders in Germany ,” added Markus Heering . “ What is crucial now in this country is for the enquiries to translate into actual orders ,” he concluded . n
https
:// vdw . de / en /
8 | ismr . net | ISMR July / August 2024