CeMAT 2016 gets underway on 31 May with a rich and diverse showcase of intralogistics products and solutions featuring some 1,000 exhibitors from 44 nations. “CeMAT’s international appeal continues to rise, with over half of this year’s exhibitors coming from outside Germany,” remarked Dr. Andreas Gruchow, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member in charge of CeMAT. The majority of the show’s 540 non-German exhibitors are headquartered in Italy, China, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Turkey. This year’s show has a strong focus on digitalisation and Industry 4.0. Themed “Smart Supply Chain Solutions”, it features a new Logistics IT showcase that will give center stage to the latest products and solutions for tomorrow’s digitally integrated, automated supply chains.

“Innovation in logistics is increasingly software-driven,” Gruchow said. “That’s why we have realigned CeMAT to give it a stronger focus on digitalisation – because digitalisation is poised to totally transform production and supply chains of every description.” These themes will be clustered in the Logistics IT showcase – a new display that will see software giant SAP exhibiting at CeMAT for the very first time. SAP and its partners will feature prominently at the new showcase, which is located in the lively, high-traffic setting of Hall 27. The Logistics IT showcase comprises an exhibition area plus a dialogue hub – the IT and Automation Forum – where IT experts and users will address a range of current industry topics, including cloud solutions and the use of mobile robots and smart glasses in warehouses.

While software is the undisputed star of the show at Logistics IT, it will also feature prominently throughout other sections of CeMAT: “IT and software systems for controlling and integrating logistics processes are becoming more and more prevalent throughout the CeMAT lineup. Today’s supply chains are fully integrated – from the point of origin of the raw materials right through to the consumer’s front door and beyond that to product returns, waste disposal and recycling. This is driven by user expectations. Consumers want products that are tailored to their individual needs, and industrial customers need to maximize productivity in order to remain profitable. “Neither of these objectives is achievable without reliable and cost-effective logistics solutions,” commented Dr. Christoph Beumer, Chairman of the CeMAT Executive Committee and Managing Director of BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG.

Automation the way forward for logistics
The current demand for product individualisation means that factory logistics operations now need more than just forklifts and high-rack storage facilities in order to keep pace and function efficiently. This reality is reflected at CeMAT, where leading manufacturers of logistics solutions will leverage the Logistics IT showcase to present technologies that enable automation, intelligently network hardware and software systems, and boost energy efficiency. Crane manufacturers, too, are moving towards more intelligent systems in order to meet the ever more sophisticated technical requirements associated with the increasing complexity of today’s production, warehousing and order-picking environments. For example, some of the latest crane and hoisting systems have predictive-maintenance modules that increase equipment availability and reduce downtime. All the latest solutions in this key area of intralogistics will be on display at the Cranes & Lifting Equipment Pavilion in Hall 27.

Empack & Label&Print
Innovations in the packaging industry are also vital to intralogistics and will therefore enjoy a strong showing at the upcoming CeMAT. There, at the Empack and Label&Print shows in Hall 13, exhibitors will present an array of products and solutions for packaging, package printing, labeling and finishing.

Attractive supporting program
This year’s CeMAT includes three quality forums for added value. First up, there’s the Keynote Forum in Hall 25, which will host the CeMAT opening address by Stephan Weil, the Premier of the German state of Lower Saxony, on day one of the fair. Then, on Thursday, 2 June, there’s the traditional CeMAT Port Forum, also held in Hall 25. And finally, in Hall 27, there’s the IT & Automation Forum, which, like the Keynote Forum, runs on all four days of the fair.

For more information about this year’s CeMAT exhibition visit the event website at www.cemat.de