The results of this year's 'all about automation' (aaa) in Friedrichshafen: two trade fair days, two full halls and new record numbers of exhibitors (321) and visitors (4,180). The exhibitors particularly emphasized the quality of the discussions with visitors.
For the first time, guided tours of the trade fair on the topic of 'Industrial Internet of Things' were held in cooperation with 'IoT Use Cases'. Both tours were very well attended. This also applied to the talks in the Talk Lounge. The presentations on machine safety, legal security when modifying machines during retrofitting and cobots and robot solutions for SMEs attracted the largest audiences.
Autonomous robotic vehicles for material transportation drove along the aisles for the demonstration.Automation has now arrived - not only because of the general shortage of personnel - even in smaller production runs. In addition to robots for handling and assembly activities at workstations, there were also autonomous robotic vehicles.
The newly founded company 'ASYS Assembly Solutions', based in Dornstadt, was represented at a trade fair for the first time. According to information from the trade fair stand and a press release from ASYS, the group recently acquired the special machine manufacturer MÜKO. Founded in 1996, the machine manufacturer for high-quality special systems was taken over out of insolvency as part of an asset deal. The takeover became legally effective on March 1, 2023. As a result, MÜKO Maschinenbau, based in Weinstadt, became ASYS Assembly Solutions GmbH.
MÜKO established itself on the market with first-class special machines for industries such as automotive, plastics, e-mobility, electronics and medical technology. From automated manual workstations and semi-automated assembly systems to fully automated machines with automatic parts supply, the Swabian company has positioned itself as a reliable partner for intelligent machines for its customers. ASYS, a leading provider of automation solutions for industrial production, has gained further expertise in the final assembly of customer-specific systems through the integration of the established special machine manufacturer.
ASYS gained employees with a high level of technical expertise in one fell swoop
"The order situation in our special systems division is consistently high, and the trend is rising," confirmed Werner Kreibl, one of the Managing Directors of ASYS. "We are using the full order books to ensure full employment at ASYS Assembly Solutions. Our customers expect flexible, scalable and individual solutions, adapted to their manufacturing challenges. With our solutions from the Final Assembly and Inventus product divisions, we are responding to these market requirements. The fact that we can now expand our expertise and deploy more manpower for these projects enables us to fully exploit the growth potential in this area." Only ASYS systems will now be manufactured in Weinstadt in order to meet the increased demand in recent years. The Weinstadt site will continue to operate with 74 employees and two production halls. Klaus Mang, also Managing Director of ASYS, knows from previous acquisitions how important the cultural integration of new employees is: "We are gaining employees with a high level of technical expertise in one fell swoop. This is very fortunate for us in times of a shortage of skilled workers. We have to create a sense of togetherness so that the employees can reach their full potential. Right from the start, we will use active communication to pick up the new recruits on a personal level."
To summarize, here are the statements of some exhibitors
- Karsten Reinholz, Managing Director, Reinholz Software & Technologies: "Regional charm paired with technical highlights of automation. We were very happy to be there and will be again next year."
- Mohamed Kaviani, Sales, Börsig: "The trade fair is known for highly qualified discussions and real needs. Regional, close and customer-oriented."
- Sven Glöckler, Head of Mechanical Engineering Support Segment, ABB Stotz- Kontakt: "The trade fair in Friedrichshafen was the best aaa we've had so far - good quality contacts with a regional approach."
- Antje Kleine-Horst, PAN-European Business Development Manager, Epson Germany: "A very well organized event. We were pleased to have a lot of interesting and exciting discussions and will be happy to come again."
- Benjamin Belle, CEO, belle electronic IIoT solutions: "For us as an SME, the aaa trade fair offers an ideal platform for making new contacts and presenting innovations."
- Markus Fiedler, Managing Director, FiMAB: "Super organization, good atmosphere, interesting presentations. We have already registered as an exhibitor for the 2024 trade fair."
- Simon Weinmann, Managing Director, Ing. Konrad Weinmann GmbH & Co. KG: "Great concept. Very informal and uncomplicated. The trade fair is developing splendidly and we will be happy to participate again next year."
The next 'all about automation' will take place on September 13 and 14, 2023 in Wetzlar. The trade fair will return to Friedrichshafen on March 5 and 6, 2024.
