Frankfurt am Main: These days, taking the political, environmental and, in particular, economic situation into consideration, side-stepping the move to energy-saving and resource-efficient production is simply no longer an option. Many companies have taken note of this and are already initiating change. Over 1,600 exhibitors from 45 countries, among them Grob, NSH-Group, Mapal and Bosch Rexroth, will be coming to EMO from 22 to 26 September 2025 in Hanover to present their innovative and environmentally friendly approaches. From green technology to the recycling economy, to energy-flexible production processes and sustainable business models: “Sustainability in Production” is defining the future of this industry, while also strengthening its competitiveness. “We cannot ignore the transformation that is happening within this industry,” says Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) and organizer of EMO Hannover. “And the sooner we tackle this head on, the greater our competitive advantage. It is still the small and medium-sized companies, in particular, who are reluctant to address the issue. All I can say here is, take the initiative now and stop putting it off. Move to sustainable production. EMO Hannover is the perfect place to get started.”
Starting off small
The transformation can start small, such as with existing machinery. Retrofitting, which not only involves fitting the machine with new mechanical components but also upgrading it with innovative control technology, rules out the need to purchase an expensive new model, while also extending the service life of the current machine considerably. This, in turn, conserves resources and reduces carbon emissions. The successful retrofitting of a state-of-the-art HF 3500 will be demonstrated by Nürtingen-based Heller at the Sustainability Area special stand. “This is a relatively new machine,” explains Marcus Genkinger, Managing Director of STS Maschinendienstleistung GmbH in Metzingen, who was responsible for the upgrade. “This machine costs less than the price of a new one and thanks to its retrofitted automation features, the customer can expect to make savings of up to 30 percent. Not forgetting the extended service life and reduced labor costs. With older and larger machines, this figure can hit 60 percent thanks to the benefits of retrofitting and automation.”
The purchase of newer, used machinery has now “become a valid alternative,” explains Benedikt Ruf, Co-CEO at Gindumac in Kaiserslautern. The company will be introducing its online platform to EMO visitors, which provides a free valuation of used machinery, as well as a sales platform for the global market. “With our buy-and-sell platform, we are bringing the idea of the recycling economy to the machinery market,” says Ruf.
In any case, the automated HF 3500 can now be used for a whole host of innovative applications following its retrofit and presents further opportunities for saving resources and energy. As does, for example, the sustainable extraction system, the monitoring system for analyzing the energy consumption of individual components, and the digital, multilingual production assistance system that improves machine operation.
The Sustainability Area will be located in Hall 14, Stand F15.
Center of sustainable solutions
In addition to the many individual presentations, this special stand for sustainable production is key to the event’s focus topic of sustainability. In these times of crisis, with energy and raw material insecurities, exhibitors have the chance here to inform others about the latest energy efficiency trends, the integration of regenerative energies, the recycling economy and life cycle concepts. Not forgetting falling production costs on the one hand, and the increasing competitiveness of companies on the other. Making this special stand one of the highlights of the leading international trade fair EMO Hannover.
Rahden-based em machines will be presenting LiquidMate, its new system for the real-time monitoring of cooling lubricant with automated repeat dosage. “With LiquidMate, the costs of cooling lubricant can be reduced by up to 50 percent and thanks to intelligent automation the investment pays off in less than two years,” explains Frank Moormann, Managing Director of em machines. “What’s more, our system can be seamlessly integrated into the machine control system, regardless of manufacturer, and thus represents a true milestone in practice. This openness is setting a new standard on the market.”
Looking ahead
The possibilities are far greater than what is already generally known. The WGP (German Academic Association for Production Technology), which will be represented at EMO with nine institutes, will showcase a number of sustainable approaches. Researchers from the institute responsible for Manufacturing Technology and Production Systems (FBK) at the University of Kaiserslautern, for example, will be presenting FairTools: new tools for the production sector made without the critical materials cobalt and tungsten. The team also wants to develop a closed resource cycle for those cases in which they cannot be entirely avoided. Hanover’s WGP experts will be presenting their flagship project, Factory-X. Together with DMG Mori, SAP and Siemens, this project involves the optimization of production facilities using AI. The spotlight will also be on the flexible alignment of production processes with the fluctuating supply of renewable energies. With SynErgie3, the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) at the Technical University of Munich will be turning the spotlight on energy flexibility and its largely underestimated leverage for lowering costs and providing greater autonomy from geopolitical developments and a precarious energy supply. The Munich company will also be presenting the remanufacturing of components and tools.
Anyone looking to actively contribute not only to the future of their company but also the planet, needs to make their way to the Sustainability Area in Hall 14, F15 in September.
Author: Gerda Kneifel, VDW