News

11 May 2020 - Artificial Intelligence for tomorrow's industry

it's OWL goes digital

With the OWL joint stand at Hannover Messe, OstWestfalenLippe presents itself as a high-tech location and pioneer for Industry 4.0. Since the fair has been cancelled, around 40 companies, research institutions, start-ups and networks are now presenting their innovations at www.its-owl.com/hannover-messe.  As of May, 11 interested parties can also find out about new technologies and their fields of application in lectures. President of the East Westphalia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Wolf Dietrich Meier-Scheuven encouraged the more than 200 participants at the digital opening: Innovations and networks are the key to new horizons after the corona crisis.

The approximately 40 exhibitors include the world market leaders Beckhoff, Böllhoff, Claas, Hettich, Lenze, Phoenix Contact and Wago, start-ups, universities and Fraunhofer institutes. They will present new approaches in the fields of machine learning, digital twins, platforms and robotics: "The trade fair stand offered companies and research institutions an excellent opportunity to find out about new technological developments and applications and to exchange ideas with experts. This is what we also want to achieve with our digital presence," says Hans-Dieter Tenhaef, Managing Partner of MIT Moderne Industrietechnik GmbH.

AI Research and Machine Learning

The innovation show is divided into six thematic areas: AI research, machine learning through intelligent automation, mechanical engineering, IT, start-ups and networks. Visitors can research both by topic area and by exhibitor.

At the universities and Fraunhofer facilities in OstWestfalenLippe, 350 researchers are working on over 100 projects to make artificial intelligence usable for industrial value creation. Using concrete application examples, they present research results in the fields of autonomous systems and machine learning, predictive maintenance, cognitive robotics and assistance systems. For example, the Institute of Cognition and Robotics (CoR-Lab) at Bielefeld University will present a cognitive robotics system that is used to mount terminals in control cabinets. The system is able to recognise the environment and objects independently. In this way, different assembly tasks can be performed without additional programming effort.

Machine learning is an important success factor for networked production and new business models. The world market leaders in automation technology are the driving force and driving force behind this. In the Leading-Edge Cluster, they develop new solutions that lead to considerable optimization and savings. For example, the companies Lenze and Phoenix Contact will be presenting the possible applications of digital twins to improve the efficiency and productivity of machines and systems. Using machine modules, it will become clear how information is exchanged between components, machines and digital services across manufacturers. In this way, specialists can detect anomalies in the operation of the machines at an early stage and avoid failures or production errors.

Intelligent machines and key factor IT

Smart services and digital platforms play an increasingly important role Mechanical engineering. Medium-sized technology leaders show how machines and value-added chains in the furniture, agricultural machinery and process industries are networked with each other and which value-added services are created as a result. Hettich Maschinentechnik, for example, will be showing an automatic testing machine for small parts that was developed together with Ceres Vision. The machine uses cameras to inspect the component geometries of the parts to be tested. Up to 250 parts per minute and with 100 percent accuracy. The system operates autonomously over a longer period of time and can be linked to the quality management software.

The right IT solution is the key to process optimisation and networked production. Against this background, more and more IT companies are getting involved in the networks in order to develop new approaches together with manufacturing companies. What the path to complete monitoring of the security aspects of self-optimising production systems can look like is shown, for example, by TÜV Süd in cooperation with Fraunhofer IOSB-INA and other partners from CIIT in Lemgo. They are working, for example, on modular certification, extended risk assessment and the use of a digital twin for monitoring machine safety.

New business models and networks

New business ideas arise from the cooperation in the networks. Start-ups find an optimal environment in OstWestfalenLippe. Nine start-ups present their ideas. The topics covered include robotics in production and machine communication, IT security and transport systems, intelligent heat transfer and material recycling, and the use of agile methods in innovation management. The Paderborn start-up Unchained Robotics, for example, has developed automated control software for the use of robots in logistics. This enables the collaborative robots to transport packaging in an automated and space-saving way.

Networks offer companies and research institutions the opportunity to jointly develop new subject areas. At owl maschinenbau, companies cooperate in the areas of strategy, transfer, purchasing and personnel. it's OWL focuses on research and development for AI in production. Smart Food Technology bundles the forces for the digital transformation of the food processing industry. In the CirQuality OWL project, the five industry initiatives support companies in the region in thinking about high-quality products and processes in closed biological and technical cycles. This also increases the resilience of economic activity. The FMB - the supplier fair for mechanical engineering offers the largest forum for medium-sized mechanical engineering companies from 4-6 November. The OstWestfalenLippe GmbH and WEGE improve the quality of the location and profile the region as a location for top technology.

For further information and pictures please go to www.its-owl.com/hannover-messe

The Leading-Edge Cluster it's OWL

In the Technology Network it's OWL -Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfa-lenLippe.Germany, more than 200 companies, research institutes and organisations develop solutions for intelligent products and production processes. To this end, pro-jects worth 200 million euros are to be implemented by 2023. An innovative transfer concept makes new technologies available to small and medium-sized companies. Named as one of the Leading-Edge Clusters by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, it's OWL is considered to be one of the largest Industrie 4.0 initiatives for SMEs. and contributes to securing production in Germany.

www.its-owl.com