“Innovation in packaging – Benefits of digitalization” is Siemens’ motto at this year’s interpack, the world’s leading trade fair for the packaging industry.
The Siemens presentation focuses on digitalization and its effects on the packaging industry – from the digital value chain in the engineering process to the integration of machinery in the line. Siemens is presenting innovative automation solutions for packaging machines, such as the Multi-Carrier System, as well as new machine concepts to meet the requirements for speed, efficiency, individuality, and flexibility.
Visitors to the booth will also get to know what MindSphere, the cloud-based, open IoT operating system from Siemens, can offer them in the field of digital services. The main themes of the exhibition are rounded off by holistic solutions for plant operators – with examples from the food and beverage and pharmaceuticals industries.
A high-performance filling and packaging machine made by Bausch + Ströbel Maschinenfabrik Ilshofen GmbH+Co. KG for the pharmaceuticals industry demonstrates the advantages of digitalization along the value chain. The company has decided to systematically digitalize the entire value chain, and intends to use the integrated hardware and software solutions from Siemens to increase the efficiency in engineering by 30 percent by 2020.
With comprehensive engineering, even the most complex machine projects can be implemented at low risk in optimum time. The Digital Enterprise Suite from Siemens is an important building block of this, with, for example, the Siemens PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software Teamcenter and NX. MindSphere, the cloud-based, open IoT operating system, is also gaining in importance – with data analysis, manifold connectivity, tools for developers, applications, and services. MindSphere helps production companies to evaluate and use data, for example, to optimize the performance of equipment to maximize availability.
The Multi-Carrier System is a highly flexible transport system that enables customized, efficient machines to be quickly realized – from simple and extended standard applications to high-end applications. The Multi-Carrier System can be perfectly adapted to applications by means of scalable controllers and Simatic S7-1500T and Simotion motion control systems, a large number of motors, carriers and guides, as well as powerful software tools, such as MCS Creator and the TIA Portal engineering framework.
The core element of efficient automation for the packaging industry is the TIA Portal engineering framework with packaging standards. All important components of an automation project are integrated into the framework. Ready-made solutions from Omac (Organization for Machine Automation and Control) and Weihenstephan, many standard applications, and the harmonized library concept substantially reduce the engineering effort for the machine manufacturer. Project Generator, the LPack packaging library, Handling Toolbox, and high-level language programming also support the implementation of future machine projects.
The Siemens portfolio of scalable, standardized automation and drive technology relevant to the packaging industry will also be exhibited – for everything from simple applications to sophisticated solutions. This includes well-designed motion control functionality, with user-friendly operation based on the latest Simotion and Simatic S7-1200 and S7-1500T controller generations.
Holistic solutions for plant operators in the food and beverage and pharmaceuticals industries round off the Siemens presentation at this year’s interpack. The company possesses well-founded know-how in these industries, as well as portfolios for realizing plant-wide automation and drive solutions. Holistic optimization of the value chain enables plant efficiency and productivity to be increased and the processes and products to be made fit for today’s and tomorrow’s requirements by means of customized solutions developed jointly with the operator.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens generated revenue of €79.6 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2016, the company had around 351,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
