The linking of machinery and digital communication under Industry 4.0 requires uniform standards – we at VOLLMER are sure of this. This is why we, as part of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), are joining forces with 50 other machine builders to provide a standard of this kind, in the form of umati. umati is based on the established OPC UA protocol, which enables it to link machines around the world regardless of manufacturer. 

As a manufacturer of grinding and erosion machines, VOLLMER is near the very start of the value-added chain involved in machine and tool construction. With umati, we can guarantee to our customers that their machines are "speaking the same language" from the outset. This way, they can reliably compare, exchange and analyse their machine data, even in heterogeneous environments. We support umati so that tool manufacturers can enjoy the benefits of Industry 4.0 and IoT (Internet of Things) and can also link their machines with higher-level systems. This standard ensures that the process for archiving and analysing information from tools or production processes is standardised, thereby paving the way for further advances in automation. 

When it comes to digitalisation, the situation at VOLLMER is the same as for many medium-sized machine builders: What we don't want is isolated solutions; instead, we aim to collaborate with other companies to make standardised machine communication a reality. The VDW will be presenting its demo installation at EMO 2019 to show how this works with umati. Our VPulse 500 erosion machine and VGrind 360 tool grinding machine are linked to the demo dashboard. At its stand, the VDW will demonstrate how the dashboard can be accessed via the web browser and how QR codes act as individual web links to our machines. VOLLMER will be providing detailed information about umati and collaboration with the VDW at its own trade fair stand.