If there is one trade fair that is predestined for the topic of „Industry 4.0“, then it is SPS IPC Drives. The 29th edition of the trade fair for smart and digital automation starts on Tuesday, 27 November 2018, at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre and ends on 29 November. The organising company Mesago is once again expecting more exhibitors this year. In order to do justice to the growing interest in the trade fair, the new Hall 3C has been integrated into SPS IPC Drives.
Around 1,700 exhibiting companies are expected to present themselves from the 27 to 29 November 2018 in the Nuremberg Trade Fair are expected by the organisers. This means that the number of exhibitors will once again increase slightly. Visitors - there were 70,264 last year - can now look forward to the 17 Halls about the offer.
The SPS IPC Drives is using the claim „Smart and digital automation“. This emphasises the fact that the IT and automation sectors are growing ever closer together. Many stands will be focussing on industrial web services, digital business platforms, virtual product developments and cloud computing. „The claim underlines the convergence of automation and IT as well as the positive development of the trade fair in the course of industrial digitalisation towards holistic automation and Industry 4.0,“ says Christian Wolf, Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board.
Some key topics are given new places
The newly opened, new hall 3C in the south-west corner of the Nuremberg exhibition centre will be directly integrated into SPS IPC Drives. Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Head of Division at Mesago for SPS IPC Drives, emphasises that „with Hall 3C we can offer our exhibitors another modern, light-flooded hall and thus make the trade fair offer even more tangible“.
The additional hall leads to a Minimal change in hall utilisation. Some of the main themes will be given a new location. For example, some exhibitors from the „Mechanical Manufacturing“ theme area will now move from Hall 10.1 to the new Hall 3C near Hall 2, which is also dedicated to this theme.
There will also be changes in Halls 5 and 6, where the focus in future will be on software and IT in manufacturing. Visitors will also find the „Industrial communication“. Apart from these changes, the hall layout remains unchanged. It was only thoroughly revised last year.
Hackathon: Start-ups generate new ideas
SPS IPC Drives is also one of the most important industry events because of its supporting programme. The new trade fair claim goes hand in hand with a new event in the supporting programme. For the first time, SPS IPC Drives is organising a „Hackathon“. Up to 15 start-up companies will be given the opportunity to generate new ideas within 48 hours together with renowned industry partners under the motto „Digital ideas for smart automation“.
„I am convinced that this year's trade fair will once again be an absolute highlight for exhibitors and visitors, also due to the favourable economic conditions.“
Christian Wolf, Chairman of the SPS-IPC Drives Exhibitor Advisory Board
The hackathon starts before the actual trade fair, namely on 25 November 2018. ten-minute idea presentations will then take place two days later at the trade fair forum. An expert jury will select the three best ideas. Prize money totalling 15,000 euros is up for grabs.
The following have proved their worth Joint stands. Four are on offer this year: „Automation meets IT“ and „MES goes automation“ in Hall 6, „Wireless in Automation“ in Hall 5 and „AMA Centre for Sensor, Measuring and Testing Technology“ in Hall 4A. The VDMA and ZVEI associations are organising lecture forums in Hall 6 to discuss current topics in the industry.
During the first two days of the fair, the „Automation 4.0 Summit“ will take place. It will focus on topics such as the industrial use of edge computing, TSN and OPC UA, IoT platforms and sensor technology.
