Frankfurt am Main, 28 January 2014. – The METAV in Düsseldorf from 11 to 15 March 2014 will be showing how leading manufacturers of production technology are nowadays bringing economic and ecological excellence into productive harmony. But what will things look like in the future? What can we expect to see at the METAV 2020? The formula for the green factory of tomorrow is called EMC² Factory: in the EU’s research project, European firms and researchers are developing concepts for factories designed to improve particularly energy-intensive production operations in the automotive, aviation and railway industries. From the viewpoint of the automation specialists Festo, Dr. Nico Pastewski, Innovation and Technology Manager of the Esslingen-based company, was interviewed about the initial ideas involved and the role of machine tools in this context.
Background
Blue Competence – Engineering a better world
Sustainability in industrial production operations is a big issue at the METAV 2014 in Dusseldorf. Under the label Blue Competence 29 companies and two industry associations will be showing users from the industrial sector how they can raise potential here. The companies involved are: Arku, Cecimo, (Belgium), Cometel (Spain), Desch, DMG Mori, Gmtk,(Spain), Heller, Hermle, Hydac, Ibarmia (Spain), IK4-Ideko (Spain), Index, Juaristi (Spain), Kapp, KMT (Sweden), Nicolás Correa (Spain), Profiroll, Reichenbacher-Hamuel, Schneeberger, Schütte, Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen, Shuton (Spain), Siemens, Soraluce (Spain), Stama, Starrag-Heckert, Traub, Unionchemnitz, VDW, Waldrich Coburg, Weiler.
The firms will be spotlighting a broad spectrum of solutions for an energy-autonomous, emission-neutral, ergonomical production technology. Well-illustrated samples of Best Practices as well as exhibits will be on display, rounded off by life-demonstrations of implemented measures.
In 2011, the VDMA (German Engineering Federation) launched the sustainability initiative of the machinery manufacturing sector, called “Blue Competence - Engineering a Better World”. So far, 38 organisations and more than 370 partner companies are participating, creating a platform for networking sustainable production and technologies. Each partner company evidences its sustainability contribution by relevant facts and individual success stories.
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