Engineered to win

In October, Lenze celebrates its 75th anniversary. A time to look backward, but especially to look forward. The industry faces many challenges. Rona Richter, Marketing Communications for Lenze Group: "Lenze has always set the pace for and together with its customers. It is impressive how many innovations have passed the revue here in 75 years, and we are determined to do the same in the next 75 years, under the motto 'engineered to win.' We want to help our customers succeed with smart engineering." 

Anyone passing by booth 139 could not avoid the "Jonglator. Brightly colored balls were swung crisscross into the air with the necessary precision. A strong example of what is possible with motion technology. "But especially also of what can be done with digitization to control the machine with different patterns and monitor its performance. After all, the data are sent directly from the PLC to a cloud portal where they can be viewed by the user. So digital juggling," sums up Marketing & Communications Manager EMEA West Marc Vissers. 

Digitization for a better world

The eye-catcher is doing its job. For three days, a particularly large number of visitors pass by looking for concrete solutions to further automate and digitize their processes. 

"The world will have to change. If we want to ensure more reliable supply chains and if we want to fulfill our climate ambitions, we have no choice but to take refuge in digitalization. Only by starting to think digitally can you achieve the disruptive leaps needed to meet today's challenges," Richter says confidently. 

The example of a gearbox is cited. A component that has been completely optimized mechanically in recent decades. "In that area, there are still few new developments possible that are going to provide much longer life or lower energy consumption. But they will if you put a digital layer of intelligence over the whole drive system. Then you will see how you can use energy more intelligently. Therein lies the profit of digitalization," Vissers adds.

It starts with smart components

A digital solution starts with smart components. There were several on display at booth 139. The i950 servo inverter, for example. With its high computing power and integrated EhterCAT port, it can control several axes synchronously without any problems. It is also prepared for digitization: it can deliver data from the field to higher-level systems. 

"A trick he could do before; we have now added One Cable Technology. No more hassle with cabling or potential interference," Vissers says. "This kind of solution, where the actuator actually becomes the sensor, will remain our focus and our competence in the coming years. True, the added value is shifting more and more to data usage, but through smart hardware you can already facilitate that quite a bit."

Keep innovating

To continue delivering on these innovations in the coming years, Lenze is betting on competence hubs. In Bremen, for example, more than 250 IT/OT engineers are working on the next steps in digitalization, with artificial intelligence at the forefront. 

Richter: "Soon, the new Mechatronics Competence Campus will also open its doors, where we can show customers how we build the drive trains of the future. Innovation is an important driver for Lenze. To move customers forward, but also to win the war for talent and attract future engineers. About 15% of sales are reinvested in R&D. It is partly due to this resolute desire to be and remain pioneers that we are quietly reaching the turnover of the billion. But also by applying in our own production the technology with which we serve our customers."