Mr. Bozek, what is the 'Solutions Park'?
Michael Bozek: The 'Solutions Park' shows approaches for the further development of industrial sensors in the sense of Industry 4.0. We demonstrate what the sensor 4.0 of tomorrow will look like, to which new recipients it will deliver its data and which issues can be solved with it. Smart Sensors 4.0, which deliver their data to other IT systems or platforms, possibly outside the company, help to automate individual work steps that today often still have to be carried out manually. Other use cases show how sensors and IT systems can already work together today.

What can visitors expect at the individual stations?

Michael Bozek: Two exhibits are at the forefront of the "Making work easier through automation" topic area: In the "Cloud-based Sensor Service", an automatic push message via SMS replaces the need for a worker to regularly check a supply container for auxiliary materials. The second exhibit, "Automatic Asset Administration", automatically records and documents electronic automation components - an activity that in the past was often carried out manually by copying from several (Excel) parts lists. It is easy to understand that this process is prone to errors and that the resulting documentation was often not kept up to date.

Two further exhibits show the possibilities created by the interaction of sensors and IT systems: "Advanced Machine Monitoring" demonstrates how quickly a system consisting of an industrial sensor and streaming platform can process data and react to interventions or changes in the field. The exhibit "Dimensional Consistency Check with Multi-SpinScan" is an example of how 3D data optically scanned by a multi-sensor system can be merged in real time with CAD data from the design department in order to make an immediate good/bad decision within a production cycle.

The exhibit "Cloud-based Sensor Service" is aimed at Industry 4.0 - can you give us some details?
Michael Bozek: Here we are at the boundary between Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things. The use case shown deals with a problem that can occur at countless points in production: A module, a feed unit or a special machine is not yet fully integrated into the production process from an electronic point of view, and regular inspection activities by the worker are necessary. The susceptibility of the entire production process to errors is particularly high at such "neuralgic" points. If a few additional components and a connection to an IT platform can be used to mitigate these interface processes, the potential for errors is reduced and process quality increases. Furthermore, downtimes in the production process can be reduced if, for example, the worker on the next shift does not have to look for tools or procure auxiliary materials before starting work. A simple IoT solution that provides information about the current position of the tool or optimizes the logistics of auxiliary materials provides valuable services here.