Drives & Controls October 2023

SPS heads back towards pre-Covid numbers More than 1,200 exhibitors from around the world are expected to attend the 32nd edition of the SPS – Smart Production Solutions – exhibition from 14–16 November. The show will cover 16 exhibition halls (two more than last year) and a total space of around 120,000m2. Last year – the first physical show after a Covid-enforced delay of three years – attracted 999 exhibitors. This year, the organisers are expecting around 1,200, including 70-90 Chinese companies that weren’t able to take part in 2022 because of the extended Covid restrictions in their country. The exhibitor numbers are not quite back to the 1,585 who attended the last preCovid show in 2019, but the organisers are happy with the trend. The number of UK exhibitors is expected to be around 15 – about twice as many as in 2022. Last year, around 360 UK visitors attended the show – the ninth-largest delegation from any country outside Germany, which provided 71% of the show’s visitors. About two thirds of the exhibitors will also hail from Germany, with others coming from around 40 countries. Exhibitors will be showing the latest trends in automation such as on-machine edge computing, and cloud-based systems. For example, Siemens will be demonstrating its cloud-based software PLC technology which it launched earlier this year. Other themes will include artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. For those who can’t get to the show, there is an option to view presentations and discussions from the main seminar stage either as live transmissions, or on-demand after the event. In both cases, English translations will be provided for non-English content. The presentations, hosted by two industry associations VDMA and ZVEI, will will be available online until the end of the year and cover topics including: drives; digital transformation/Industry 4.0; industrial communications; safety and security; datadriven intelligent concepts for control and visualisation; sensor innovations; and sustainability through automation. Interested parties can already connect with one another, arrange online or on-site appointments, and gain an overview of everything going on at this year’s event by visiting “SPS on air”. On 8 November, one week before the physical fair, a digital “preheat event” will take place, where exhibitors will give a taste of what visitors can expect to see on their stands in Nuremberg. Last year, around 5,000 people attended the show digitally. Back at the live show, there will be two other seminar theatres as well as a joint stand, called Automation meets IT, where around 24 exhibitors will offer visitors insights into specific issues and offer individual advice from suppliers. The joint stand will focus on these topics: n IT management for manufacturing n Cloud and edge-based solutions and services n Security measures for manufacturing n IoT and AI-based systems n Open-source software. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (known as BMWK) is running a stand in Hall 8 where German startups (less than 10 years old) will talk about their products, processes and services. n Following a successful first post-Covid show in 2022, the German SPS automation show returns to Nuremberg next month, with two more halls and around 1,200 exhibitors from around the world. Those who can’t attend in person can still follow the main seminar programme online, with English translations where necessary. SHOW FACTS Where: Nuremberg, Germany When: Tuesday, 8 November 2022 - 9am–6pm Wednesday, 9 November 2022 - 9am–6pm Thursday, 10 November 2022 - 9am–5pm Entry: Tickets from €45 are available via the show’s Web site and cover both the live and online events (although most visitors are given free entry passes by exhibitors) Web site: https://sps.mesago.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/spsmesse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12020854 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spsmesse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spsmesse/ ?hl=enspsmesse/?hl=en n SPS PREVIEW 44 October 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com

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