Ex power supplies and surge protection specialists Weidmuller are looking beyond the first five years of Industry 4.0 as they prepare to exhibit at Hannover Messe 2016.
The 69th show opens its doors in about 12 weeks, and the electrical engineering brand, whose products range from Ex power supplies and surge protection, to Exe enclosures and safety relays, is focusing on Industry 4.0 and its implications for remote control and predictive maintenance in industrial settings.
Industry 4.0 was introduced as a concept five years ago, but has quickly gained widespread recognition, as technology has advanced to support its ideas of minimising maintenance and downtime, while avoiding direct human access to equipment – all of which is clearly beneficial in hazardous areas too.
Michael Matthesius, head of global industry management for machine construction at Weidmuller, said: “When it comes to the topic of predictive maintenance, Weidmuller offers solutions for a proactively maintained machinery portfolio, and expands upon this with customer-friendly solutions for secure remote maintenance.”
As part of their exhibit at Hannover Messe, visitors to the Weidmuller stand will be able to operate some of the company’s applications via remote access – a practical demonstration of the type of technology that is making Industry 4.0 a reality.
