From June 19 to 22, Munich will be the meeting place for the international automation industry. Automatica 2018 will present the complete spectrum of robotics and automation: from industrial and service robotics to assembly and handling technology and industrial image processing. For the first time, six exhibition halls will be fully occupied, with around 900 companies showcasing their solutions for intelligent production.

Terms such as cloud robotics, deep learning and smart production are increasingly becoming a reality. The exhibitors at Automatica will show that the future of industrial production will be completely networked, what advantages this will bring and how easy it is to implement the necessary open networks. For many automation suppliers, the trade fair motto is "Industry 4.0", "Smart Factory" or "Digital Networking".

With IT2Industry, Automatica offers an integrated theme area for IT companies. It focuses on the interaction between automation and information technology, which is a core component of digital automation and robotics. The IT2Industry forum offers more than 40 presentations, discussion panels and best-practice examples from the Industrial Internet of Things.

Smart robots are conquering the service sector
Whether in logistics, agriculture, medicine, retail or customer information, humans and machines are increasingly working hand in hand. The "Professional service robotics" exhibition area showcases key technologies, components and ready-to-use complete solutions for various service sectors. In the service robotics demo park, visitors can experience service robots live in action and interact with them.

The VDMA Robotics + Automation Association is addressing an important aspect of the robotics and Industry 4.0 euphoria. The special show "Humans in the Smart Factory" addresses current issues in this area. Two Industry 4.0 demonstrators will also be presented: With the OPC UA demonstrator, the VDMA is presenting a new communication and engineering approach within which all components communicate independently of the manufacturer. This will be shown in concrete terms in the form of a system on which fidget spinners are assembled live on site.

The "smart4i Next Generation" demonstrator, initiated and sponsored by the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, includes all relevant Industry 4.0 applications - from the cloud to the sensor. It involves the production of an individualized model car, the manufacturing process of which visitors can experience at the trade fair.

AI and MRK in the forum
The Automatica Forum offers valuable know-how transfer. From vision to concrete implementation in practice: presentations and discussions reflect current industry trends and future scenarios. The topics in focus: digital transformation, artificial intelligence, human-robot collaboration and Work 4.0. Dr. Holger Heyn, Head of Future Technologies in Volkswagen Group Production, will report on "The production of the future in the Volkswagen Group: digital, networked and sustainable".

In addition, the Automotive Production Congress will take place on the topic of "On the road to autonomous production". Secondly, the robotics conference "International Symposium on Robotics" (ISR) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. It will take place from June 20 to 21 as part of Automatica. Over 100 presentations will provide insights into the latest "state of the art" robotics technologies. as

Key facts about Automatica 2016
833 exhibitors from 47 countries
43,052 visitors from around 100 countries
82% of visitors are decision-makers
35% international visitors
66,000 m2 of exhibition space
Top-class conference program with around 300 experts