Hannelore Kraft visits MSF-Vathauer Antriebstechnik

A quick glance at intelligent automation for industry 4.0

Beim Unternehmensbesuch der SPD-Landesvorsitzenden Hannelore Kraft bei MSF-Vathauer Antriebstechnik standen neue Technologien für Industrie 4.0 Lösungen und die Mitarbeiter im Fokus

Celebrity visit in Detmold: In the framework of her political campaign, Hannelore Kraft stopped by Detmold. On 22th May 2014 Mrs. Hannelore Kraft, chairperson for the regional SPD party and minister of the Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia, visited the company in Detmold at MSF-Vathauer Antriebstechnik. During her visit, Mrs. Kraft learnt about industry 4.0, as well as the know-how and activities MSF-Vathauer practices here, and spoke to the staff.
 
In the morning, just before 9 o'clock, Mrs. Hannelore Kraft arrived at the company with city mayor Rainer Heller. During the conversations with both managing directors, Karl-Ernst and Marc Vathauer, she became familiar with the subject of industry 4.0 as well as the solutions the company provides in the area of decentralised drive traction automation activities.
 
Intelligent automation for industry 4.0
In the area of embedded systems, MSF-Vathauer Antriebstechnik has already made a significant contribution to optimise autonomous decision-making processes and to control all production processes of the entire value-added chain in real time.
 
How does the system reduce the installation times? What is the extent of energy and resource savings? To what extent is the "Thinking System" regarded as an intelligent and technically-minded system? This and other questions were discussed with the minister during a walking tour though the company. Hannelore Kraft was impressed with the innovation capability of this medium-sized Company in East Westphalia: "I am happy to know that here in the State of NRW we have so many innovative companies, especially medium-size businesses. At MSF-Vathauer Antriebstechnik, the vision of industry 4.0 is shared and practised across generations. They have also realised how important it is to work closely with universities and technical colleges in our state in order to be successful in the long run."
 
Energy efficiency
Mr. Karl-Ernst Vathauer showed "MONO-SWITCH Field Drive System Even Thinking" as example for the intelligent automation solution, for which the company was awarded in November 2013 with OWL-Innovation Prize MARKET VISIONS 2013. This shows what the industry of the future will look like and which opportunities and energy advantages this will bring. He presented the "Energy-Recovery-System (ERS)", the latest development of the company, as a prominent example. The ERS is an innovative new development for the direct and loss-free energy recovery from drive traction technology. Operating electromechanical systems produces regenerative energy, when an electric motor runs faster than the power grid driving it. Until recently, it was not possible to make direct use of the excess energy without losses. The ERS now makes the recovered electrical energy available to the system,  directly and without any intermediate storage. Through the use of the latest technology very high efficiency rates can be achieved.
 
"Decentralised intelligence in machine components means that all the relevant process parameters and product characteristics inline can be captured along with the process speed and used to monitor and optimize machines and equipment." explained Karl-Ernst Vathauer. "In terms of resources and energy efficiency, there is still an urgent need for improvement. This is particularly the case when it comes to old plants and systems. With our solutions we make a substantial contribution to the domain of decentralised drive automation to achieve this efficiency."
 
The Company, which has been active for more than 35 years locally as well as internationally, offers its customers innovative and decentralised technologies, as well as services and solutions for industry 4.0. Vathauer is leading the way to the factory of the future, which will be characterized by a modular, flexible and self-organized way of working.
 
Detmold's City Mayor Rainer Heller explains: "Family-led firms and businesses are indeed very important success factors. The city of Detmold also supports the extension plans of the Vathauer Company in the Detmold area with all its resources and possibilities. For me, active economic promotion means to seek dialog and to act accordingly."