"NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING INTRODUCED EVER MORE QUICKLY"

In an interview, Dr. Andreas Klein, Vice President Engineering Winergy of Siemens AG, talks about the challenges of the future and the benefit the cooperative industrial research (IGF) holds for the wind industry.

FOR MORE RELIABLE WIND TURBINE GENERATORS

The FVA-Nacelle project shows how partnerships of science and the industry in fundamental research can contribute to the success of the energy transition in Germany.

THE VIRTUAL PRODUCT CONTROLS ACTUAL PRODUCTION

Asked about a real-life example of the use of Industrie 4.0 at shop floor level, Steffen Winkler does not need to think for long. The automation expert from Bosch Rexroth quickly picks up a cordless screwdriver for industrial use.

DOES THE DIESEL ENGINE HAVE A FUTURE?

For almost 120 years, the diesel engine has been operating in cars, trucks, mobile and stationary machines, ships and trains. During this period of time, engineers have constantly tried to make it efficient and clean. But now the question has emerged: Is the diesel a dinosaur, about to go extinct?

MARINE FUELS: WHAT WILL FOLLOW HEAVY OIL?

A large proportion of foreign trade in Germany is conducted by sea. When it comes to transporting goods, shipping currently relies primarily on heavy oil as fuel. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) or synthetic fuels could reduce emissions from shipping in the future. An analysis.

IMPROVING HEALTH AND ERGONOMICS

Up to ten tons of material: this is what production workers often lift during one single day. In this case, robots can make life easier. "The trend is that the workers focus on their expertise, while the robots do the heavy work," explains Patrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director VDMA Robotics + Automation Association.

HUMAN AND ROBOTS - GETTING CLOSER

Welding overhead without assistance is feasible for a little while, but for a whole day? Lifting and mounting a heavy console once is manageable, but all day long? Since mankind and thus the employees are ageing, solutions need to be found to make working and everyday life easier, less destructive and more comfortable. Collaboration between human and robots provides an answer to this question.

IMPLANTS: PERMANENT OR DEGRADABLE

Implants to fix cranial injuries faster, biodegradable screws to join bone and fragments together: medical technology research opens up new opportunities for medical treatment.

MADE FOR WALKING

Approximately 1000 people per year are rendered paraplegic, which means that the patient can no longer move his body below the injured part of the spinal cord. Exoskeletons offer help and enable paraplegic people to walk again.

HUMANS AND ROBOTS WORK HAND IN HAND

Right next to the worker, a robot rearranges components for a common rail high-pressure injection pump - without a safety fence. The inventiveness and creativity of Bosch researchers made this possible by developing a sensitive artificial skin for the robot.

THE CONNECTED WORLD OF TOMORROW

Free your mind: once a week, hundreds of Bosch researchers have a fixed appointment with their brains. Sometimes they think all on their own, sometimes with colleagues. This period [called concept time] gives them a chance to work on things they normally would not do. That is how big ideas emerge, new inventions become reality. This is how modern research and development works in Renningen, Bosch’s new center for research and advance engineering. VDMAimpulse was allowed to take a look behind the scenes.

INVENTING THE INCONCEIVABLE

Fixing a sensor to a component in order to find out what happens to it during the production process is an important way of collecting information. Connectivity solutions are the specialty of research engineer Dr. Nelly Frank. Frank is a computer scientist working at Bosch’s advance engineering center in Renningen. She and her fellow colleagues are inventing future products.