Companies learning from companies

The VDMA Factory Tour visits Balluff

31 representatives from mechanical and plant engineering visited Balluff and experienced how the sensor and automation specialist implements the Industrial Internet of Things in its own production

Neuhausen a.d.F – Whether managing director, production manager or project manager – the participants of the VDMA Factory Tour Industry 4.0, who visited Balluff on April 10 at the company headquarters in Neuhausen a.d.F., were highly varied. The event series initiated by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) offers VDMA members insights into the production processes at other companies. Under the slogan "Companies learning from companies", it serves both as an inspiration for their own Industry 4.0 approaches and as a way for the companies to network with each other.

Dr. Marc-Daniel Moessinger, Industry 4.0 expert at VDMA, welcomed the participants. Afterwards, Balluff Managing Director Florian Hermle introduced his own company: "With our sensor and automation solutions, we support our customers step by step in digitizing their production and increasing the efficiency and productivity of their production with the transparency they have gained." Melanie Mezger and Philipp Echteler, responsible for digitization and IIoT at Balluff, then presented the company's digitization strategy. The essential component of the tour was the Walk of Automation, a tour through the production line which shows the possibilities of Industry 4.0 solutions and the concrete added value directly in the application. This is not a traditional showroom, but everything runs live and in real time. "Behind every use case of the Walk of Automation is a ready-to-use Industry 4.0 solution from Balluff. This means it's not just an informative tour, but a visible result of our own digitization strategy at the same time," explains Echteler.

Pacesetters of automation

Balluff is active in a fast-paced and dynamic competitive environment. "It's not enough just to keep up, we need to lead with technological innovations. After all, we see ourselves as pacesetters of automation," notes Mezger. "That´s why we are even more pleased to be part of the event. It's a way to share our experiences with others, provide new impulses and thereby create genuine added value for visitors."

About the company Balluff

Founded in 1921 in Neuhausen a.d.F., Balluff employs 4000 people worldwide and represents innovative technology, quality and cross-industry experience in industrial automation. As a leading sensor and automation specialist, the family-owned company in its fourth generation offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality sensor, identification, network and software solutions.

In 2018, Balluff Group reported revenues of around 488 million Euro. In addition to the main headquarters in Neuhausen a. d. F., Balluff has sales, production and development locations around the world and can boast 38 wholly owned subsidiaries and other representatives in 68 countries. This guarantees customers rapid worldwide availability of products and high consulting and service quality on site.