In times of digital networking, however, the interaction between different partners and process steps is of particular interest. This is exactly what the SmartFactory special show will be demonstrating from September 13 to 17, 2022 in Stuttgart, which will depict a real production process - including a give-away produced on site for interested visitors.

From the outset, a key aspect of Industry 4.0 was to realize economical production in batch size 1. In line with increasingly individualized customer wishes and ever more specific product requirements, the industry should increasingly offer special products at the cost of mass production. This goal can only be achieved if processes are digitized and highly automated. The SmartFactory special show in the East Entrance, Stand EO200, will provide an example of just such a process, making the interplay between networked digital and analog processes transparent.

Six AMB exhibitors have joined forces and set up an exemplary production process that can be experienced live at the trade fair. Gewactec from Wehingen on the Heuberg will provide an input system in which AMB visitors can send their orders. Together with Cenit, an IT consulting and software company, the IT specialists for the medium-sized manufacturing industry will ensure that the production process is mapped and visualized as a digital process. The digital twin of the overall process also comes from Cenit.

Special machine manufacturer Häberle provides the production cell and thus ensures that the chips can fly after the order has been accepted, including the visitor's special request. The turned parts, pre-produced in advance by lathe manufacturer Maier for space reasons, are processed in a cell complete with robot, tool changer and automatic feed before they are given their final individual finishing touches - or rather their fine engraving - in the laser, also installed by Maier.

As there can be no industrial production process without quality control, the manufactured trade fair gifts are then checked for tolerance accuracy by our partner Zeiss and a measurement and test report is automatically created.

The control system and robots come from the factory automation company Fanuc. Nils Tersteegen knows that the realization of the SmartFactory special show is not only about the control and intelligence of the overall process, but also about bringing the people behind the processes together. The Head of Marketing at Fanuc in Germany coordinated the cooperation for the special show: "We are bringing digital and analog production together in this special show. While most exhibitors only show their products at their stand, SmartFactory in the East Entrance is a unique opportunity to experience interlinked, fully digital production live and up close."

The installation and the collaboration between the partners show how digitally networked production must function today in order to remain competitive. "In this production, everything talks to each other and everything is networked throughout. Every machine knows what the others are doing," adds Tersteegen. However, he does not yet want to reveal exactly which trade fair gift will be produced: "After all, it should remain a little surprise," he smiles.