Industrial process automation in all its many shapes and forms will be on show this April in halls 9 and 11 at Hanover Messe 2015. And one of the keynote themes, alongside classic process automation topics like life cycle management and field instrumentation, will be Industry 4.0 - the 4th-industrial revolution that is set to bring fundamental change to the process automation sector, as Endress+Hauser, ABB, JUMO and other big-name exhibitors will show.
Industry 4.0 describes the convergence of key trends, such as the Internet of Things, increasingly complex hardware, software and logistics systems, and advanced control technology, to create the intelligent, self-organizing factory of the future. So much for the theory. At Hanover Messe 2015, Endress+Hauser will be among the exhibitors presenting solutions that turn Industry 4.0 into reality for process automation users. Their exhibits will focus on three distinct aspects of operationalizing Industry 4.0 in process automation settings: vertical integration, which puts in place key linkages all the way from the field level to business control; horizontal integration, which yields optimized value chain outputs; and end-to-end engineering, which saves valuable time and resources in all areas, from planning to process control. In this way, the products displayed and issues discussed at Hanover Messe will enable visitors to discover and understand what lies at the heart of Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0 also ties in closely with manufacturing execution systems. This was one of the insights to emerge from the discussions at last year's MES Conference, which featured over 200 participants. On 16 April this year, MES experts from around the world will again gather at Hanover Messe for the MES Conference on Efficient Production, where they will present successfully implemented projects from the discrete and process manufacturing industries.
