The two sectors of automation and IT are growing ever closer together in the age of digital transformation. This is why the trade fair has also decided on a new thematic hall layout: Starting this year, Hall 6 will be entirely dedicated to software and IT in manufacturing. Well-known providers from the IT world such as Microsoft Germany and SAP Germany will be presenting exhibition topics such as industrial web services, virtual product development/design, digital business platforms, IT/OT technologies, fog/edge and cloud computing. Cyber security solutions will also be presented in 2017 by numerous providers such as Kaspersky Lab UK. They will be demonstrating on their stands how companies can protect themselves against cyber attacks. The Mechanical Infrastructure exhibitors previously represented in Hall 6 will be located in Hall 2 and the newly added Hall 10.1 together with the Industrial Communication providers.

Forums at new locations

In addition to various products and application examples from many exhibitors, SPS IPC Drives also reflects the IT trend in themed special display areas as well as presentations and panel discussions in various forums. Please note: The ZVEI forum - previously in Hall 2 - will be located in Hall 3A this year; the 'Automation meets IT' forum will move from Hall 3A to Hall 6 and the VDMA forum will be located in Hall 3 as usual.

The accompanying congress

The 'Automation 4.0 Summit' accompanying the trade fair offers four topic slots on the first two days of the fair.

© Computers&AUTOMATION

The accompanying Automation 4.0 Summit will once again complement the trade fair offering on the first two days of this year's fair and address topics relating to the Industry 4.0 environment. On the first day of the trade fair, the topics will be 'TSN and OPC UA in industry' and 'Sensor technology for Industry 4.0'; on the second day, the topics will be 'Embedded vision' and 'Raspberry Pi & Co in industry'.

The 'TSN and OPC UA in industry' track will focus on the one hand on the question of how quickly the real-time Ethernet variant TSN in conjunction with OPC UA will find its way into manufacturing. On the other hand, automation manufacturers will report on the product roadmaps they are setting up and pursuing in this regard. The parallel track 'Sensors for Industry 4.0' will get to the bottom of the following questions: What new possibilities does modern sensor technology offer for Industry 4.0? How do new sensor concepts affect flexible production and robot technology? How can MEMS sensors help with condition monitoring?

On the second day of the trade fair, the 'Embedded Vision' track will provide an insight into what such systems can do, what advantages and disadvantages they have compared to conventional concepts and what applications they are suitable for. The 'Raspberry Pi & Co in Industry' track will shed light on open source platforms that have been causing a stir in the hobbyist scene to date. But what role can these platforms play in the automation environment? Hardware platforms such as Raspberry Pi, Revolution Pi and Arduino - as well as the necessary software - will be examined in the session with regard to these fields of application.

To enable one-day visitors to SPS IPC Drives to attend both the trade fair and the Summit, the Summit will start at 10.30 a.m. and end at around 2.30 p.m.. This means that there are still five hours available for a visit to the trade fair despite attending the congress. The thematic blocks will each take place in two parallel tracks.

The Guided Tours

The Guided Tours on the topics of IT security in automation, smart production and smart connectivity are making their debut this year. Trade visitors can use these guided tours to obtain targeted and focused information on important innovations and exhibits in these special subject areas.