Positive EMO 2019 in Hanover

The MAPAL trade fair team is thoroughly satisfied with its experiences at EMO 2019 in Hanover. “We didn’t set our expectations too high,” emphasises Dr Jochen Kress, President of MAPAL Dr Kress KG. The trade fair exceeded expectations. Although the trade fair organiser reported fewer visitors than two years ago, Kress summed up by saying: “The quality of the contacts was surprisingly high. The trade fair was very good as we had a number of positive conversations which we hope will provide us with momentum for the coming months.”

According to Kress, the question many companies are concerned with is “What will manufacturing in the future look like in terms of parts and digitisation?” Cost-effectiveness is a key consideration here. Companies that are mainly based in the automotive industry are primarily concerned with the issue of electric mobility and the manufacturing of the parts necessary for this field. Comprehensive solutions to this issue were on display at the MAPAL stand. ““There was great interest in our range,” says Andreas Enzenbach, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management. Above all else, MAPAL emphasises that complete machining concepts are already available and the company is able to offer customers the entire process.

Illuminated in blue and displayed at the centre of the 520 square metre stand, MAPAL’s newly redesigned chucks were the eye-catching star of the trade show. The chucks, which play an important role as the connection between the machine and the tool, are optimised in terms of shape, surface, weight and material usage. Among other things, the surface of the chucks is more resistant to corrosion thanks to the well-thought-out industrial design. The chucks are also lighter in weight and more rigid. On top of that, clear labelling of the controls ensures “foolproof handling”.

The subsidiary c-Com’s exhibition stand will also focus on exciting new products. Firstly, Giari Fiorucci, Managing Director of c-Com GmbH, is pleased to announce two new partnerships with renowned companies. Secondly, the start-up presents initial AI approaches with new applications. “With c-Com we are leveraging the potential of digitisation for our customers. And making the entry into networked production very easy,” says Fiorucci. In this regard, the c-Connect Box also attracts attention at both stands. For example, the setting fixtures on the MAPAL exhibition stand are networked with virtual machines. As well as this, machine traffic lights at both exhibition stands will be monitored by sensors using the c-Connect box. Large monitors show the results right away.

On the first day of the trade fair, MEP and Chairman of the European Green Party, Reinhard Bütikofer, spoke with Dr Jochen Kress and Andreas Enzenbach and learned about current developments within the company. Dr Berend Lindner (CDU), State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Labour, Transport and Digitisation followed suit on the third day of the fair. The key topics of conversation include the global economy, continuing digitisation and structural change within the automotive industry and how MAPAL is adapting to these pressures.

MAPAL also participated in the VDMA Technology Forum on the third day of the trade fair. Dennis Minder, member of the clamping technology product management team, speaks on the subject “Application-oriented tool clamping technology – The role of clamping technology in the processes of the future”. It shows how additive manufacturing pushes boundaries in the production of chucks. Chucks can be designed for specific applications with greater design freedom. Cost-effectiveness increases significantly for the customer.