Hanover showcases modern manufacturing technology
The world’s largest industrial trade fair is underway in Hanover this
week. Lightweight robots, virtual machines, and artificial seagulls
await visitors eager to marvel at the latest technological innovations.
A
large, silver sea gull circles Hall 15 of the Hanover fairground. But
when it flaps its wings, turns its head, or twitches its tail, its
movements look a little choppy.
That's
because there's electricity – not blood – flowing through this
particular bird's veins. And it didn't peck its way out of an egg shell;
rather, it's the work of engineers at technology company Festo in
collaboration with renowned universities and development firms.
 Festo's SmartBird robot at the Hanover Fair
Festo,
a globally active family company from Baden Württemberg, has made
something of a tradition out of showing robots inspired by Mother Nature
at the "Hannover Messe" trade fair in recent years.
"This
time, we chose the herring gull," said Heinrich Frontzek from Festo,
explaining that the company's engineers were intrigued by the challenge
of decoding bird flight to unlock the secrets of greater energy
efficiency.
It's
not just a game. The discoveries made while working on the bionic
seagull could help make industrial production more effective.
Solutions for charging stations
Not
far from the Festo display stand, visitors switch their gaze from the
air to the floor. The innovation here is a black plate about one square
meter in size. Next to it stands a sleek, white electric sports car from
the California-based company, Tesla.
A
similar black plate is installed in the floor of the car. By
positioning the car over the plate, which is made by SEW Eurodrive, the
Tesla's battery starts to automatically recharge.
It's
safe and easy and vandals would have a hard time destroying it,
according to the company's marketing rep, Thorsten Götzmann. He can't
say yet when and if the recharging plate will be on the market - only
that the company is in talks with car manufacturers.
 They may be lightweights, but Kuka robots are strongHelping hand from a robot
The auto industry has also always played a big role for German robot maker, Kuka.
The
strong recovery in the auto sector has helped Kuka out of the financial
crisis. After two years of losses, the automation technology specialist
is now looking forward to healthy profits.
The
company is currently exhibiting its complete spectrum of products and
solutions at Hanover for the first time. Martin Sträb from Kuka's Sales
and Marketing department demonstrates a light industrial robot.
"The special thing about this robot is that it doesn't weigh very much, and that makes it easier to carry," Sträb said.
"It
also has seven moveable axes which are soft and pliable, because they
contain intelligent technology. The robot can really work together with
you on tasks. These could be household jobs, tasks in the laboratory, or
assembly work," he added.
Machines in virtual space
This
particular robot can even be controlled via a mobile phone. And because
it's small and lightweight, it was easy to take to Hanover.
But
what happens when a company wants to exhibit machines that are so big
that they can't easily be transported? Or when a visitor is interested
in seeing precisely those machines which weren't brought to the fair?
Ralf Heimberg, head of the board at ICIDO, has a 3D modeling solution
that can help.
The
kind of technology most visitors only know from films such as "Avatar"
can now be used to a company's advantage. You only have to don a pair of
3D glasses, and suddenly the machine in question appears on a 3D screen
in front of you.
 Visitors can inspect complex machines using 3D modelsThe
technology has many more advantages, says Heimberg. When machine
manufacturers explain a product to their clients, they often face the
problem that the active parts are hidden behind a casing.
"With
this technology, we're able to fly inside the machine and look at its
inner workings," he said. "In this way, we can present features, such as
how to mount the machine, or how to conduct maintenance."
As
practical as this solution seems, Festo is happy that it's not among
ICIDO's customers. It prefers to have its silver robot sea gull swooping
over the real stands at the Hanover fair, and not confined to a screen.
Author: Insa Wrede / dc
Editor: Sam Edmonds
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6494330,00.html
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