Inspiration and lessons learned at WoTS 2018

More than 22 thousand visitors found their way to the World of Technology & Science 2018 fair. This edition there were again various themes, advisory routes, exciting projects and seminars that were designed with the cooperation of a large group of exhibitors.

This year, the two titles World of Technology & Science and Industrial Processing have been integrated into one trade fair for the first time and many visitors liked this. Industrial Processing completes the picture, because the instrumentation part of the World of Automation transitioned nicely to the entire wet and dry process industry.

There was great interest in the theme IoT – Industry 4.0, not only the advice route but also the seminar was well attended. Airborne, Duijvelaar Pompen and 247 TailorSteel filled the seminar with concrete examples of Industry 4.0. Some speakers were involved in the seminar at an early stage by recording a film of these innovative breeding grounds on location. The number of participants in the route also emphasized that the theme concerns the suppliers. Furthermore, the 'Earning Money with Machine Construction' seminar was well attended. Speakers on behalf of AWL-Techniek, MPS Systems, VanRiet Group and VMI Group managed to captivate the audience with a nice additional program.

A Virtual Reality (VR) installation was developed together with nine instrumentation suppliers. Here the public could become acquainted with a wide range of innovative instrumentation from different suppliers. There was also the opportunity to experience VR. The use of VR will boom within technical education and for the deployment of operators and (maintenance) technicians in the near future. In the collaboration with the training institute STC Group, the importance of good coordination between vocational education and the labor market also emerged.

The concept of Life Cycle Management was discussed by various suppliers in a seminar, where terms such as spare parts, absolute and obsoessence were often used by the various speakers. The availability of instruments appears to be a major dilemma. The unavailability of components causes ad-hoc solutions or even unplanned outages. Various machine builders and plant owners have problems with the availability of products. No fewer than 15% of the end-of-life notifications occur 30 days before the end-of-life moment, 80% of the end-of-life notifications within 6 months. Sometimes redesigning something takes longer. Very frustrating for a machine builder when a company starts with a design and uses products that will be phased out in the short term. Product phase-outs are usually communicated by suppliers, but these messages often do not reach the right people. As an audience member, you would immediately think of a large database of components with data sheets and 3D designs, which can be filled by all component suppliers. If everyone can indicate the availability status in this place, then the solution is near!

If the energy intake is also included within this database, we can directly link the next topic. What should I do now for an energy-efficient factory in 2028? That was the title of the seminar during the WoTS. The RVO created the frameworks of the future, where the energy transition of the industry is seen as an opportunity. In total, 43% of emissions will have to be reduced if we compare 2015 with 2030. More than a quarter relates to industry, with energy generation accounting for a quarter. All in all, great results can be achieved within energy consumption. Not only with energy-saving measures, but also with the reuse of energy.
We look forward to World of Technology & Science 2020, where we will encounter many facets of the past edition but also many new solutions. Because one thing is certain: technical development has never been so fast.