- HANNOVER MESSE confirmed as world’s leading technology event
- Unique, holistic showcase of entire industrial supply chain
- Highest visitor traffic ratio in years  - Clear signs of economic upswing

With its successful re-launch, the world’s leading technology event has effectively reset the trade fair compass: This year’s HANNOVER MESSE underlined its commanding position as the only showcase to feature the entire industrial supply chain. Some 180,000 visitors — nearly 50,000 of whom came from abroad — were on hand to see exhibits staged by 5,040 exhibitors across a total display area of 151,500 square meters. These figures testify to an excellent outcome for HANNOVER MESSE 2004. The ratio of approx. 1.2 visitors per square meter of rented space was much higher than in recent years (2003: 0.94; 2002: 0.97), greatly exceeding the organizers’ expectations. The eight trade shows staged under HANNOVER MESSE umbrella each focused on a particular link in the industrial chain, thus covering the entire range of process and production automation.
Any lingering uncertainty over economic trends was further dispelled during the course of HANNOVER MESSE 2004. Successful business talks, excellent international contacts and the prospect of good post-show business for the vast majority of exhibitors offered clear signs that an economic upswing is underway.

Results of exhibitor survey

A pivotal criterion for judging the success of a trade fair is the way exhibitors rate the business prospects for their particular sector at the close of the show. Companies exhibiting at HANNOVER MESSE 2004 gave the show top marks, with 44 percent describing their business outlook as “favorable” to “very favorable” — a far better rating than in 2003 (29 percent) and 2002 (39 percent).
Exhibitors from around the world rated their sales prospects this year considerably higher than last year. They also gave better marks to the number of promising talks held with attending professionals. Some 44 percent rated this as “favorable” to “very favorable” compared to just 40 percent last year.
There was also a noticeable increase in the number of contacts with potential new customers at this year’s HANNOVER MESSE, with 39 percent of all exhibiting firms classifying this number as “favorable” to “very favorable” (2003: 33 %).
These ratings clearly bear witness to an improved economy and enhanced opportunities for individual companies.

Visitor makeup

By attracting 47,000 visitors from abroad, HANNOVER MESSE reaffirmed its reputation as an event with massive international appeal. Moreover, some 40 percent of these foreign attendees came from outside of Europe. This constitutes a new record for HANNOVER MESSE — a figure that no stand-alone “niche” event can ever hope to generate. The greatest rise in attendance was reported for Asia, with about 70 percent more visitors attending the fair from this region.

HANNOVER MESSE as  “knowledge platform to beat all knowledge platforms”

This year’s HANNOVER MESSE proved to be a second-to-none knowledge platform. Over the six-day run of the event, invited specialists, exhibitors and show attendees discussed the latest industrial trends, including a glimpse of the future. Around 160 topic-based presentations, forums and lecture events provided a wealth of information on the world of industrial automation, including the latest industrial trends, the “tech transfer” information platform, a cooperation exchange for the new EU accession countries and the “GO FOR HIGH TECH” jobs & careers center. Numerous inaugural events, such as the INTERKAMA+ Forum and the “Womanpower Congress”, also proved a big success.

Networking at the highest level

The year more than ever, HANNOVER MESSE was the place for government and business leaders to rub shoulders and exchange ideas, beginning with the show’s opening ceremony, keynoted by German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and attended by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nasarbajew, and including visits by numerous German federal, state and local politicians plus additional prominent representatives. The combined experience of these distinguished guests gave further impetus to Germany’s role as a commercial and industrial powerhouse. Interested parties and representatives from the new EU member nations (“accession countries”) also made the most of the many different forums and symposia to investigate opportunities for joint activities and ways of improving their export prospects.

Rösler: Cost optimization by means of intelligent surface finishing solutions

With sophisticated concepts the automated shotblasting technology provides an even greater potential for rationalization in process automation. For the rational processing of different components Rösler Oberflächentechnik, Untermerzbach Germany, showed at Hannover Messe among others a wire mesh belt machine, blasting cabinets, a rotary vibrator and a high energy disk machine optimizing profitability and flexibility in the manufacturing processes of various industries. With the wire mesh belt system RDGE, for example, it is possible to completely deburr the surface of large die cast aluminum or magnesium components in one passage and to achieve the required surface finish simultaneously. For special surface requirements both processes can be combined. The components are first treated in a vibratory finishing machine and in a further step in a shot-blasting unit. Rösler also offers high quality equipment for the cleaning of process liquids.
For information: E-mail: info@rosler.com, www.rosler.com

AGTOS: New concepts for the blasting technology

On the occasion of this year’s exhibition in Hanover, the AGTOS GmbH supplied information on the united stand „Praxispark” about new blast machine concepts as well as the large service programme concerning the blasting technology. A highlight was the presentation of the interesting enhancement of the approved drum-blasting machine.  Furthermore, the AGTOS range of blasting machine contains roller conveyor, hanger-type, diabolo, rotary table and tumblast machines with turbine-wheel technology. The AGTOS high-performance turbine 3.6 has already successfully been launched onto the market. This year AGTOS also presented the “bigger sister” – the high-performance turbine 4.8. This turbine with a diameter of 450 mm has been approved and low wear and spare parts costs are convincing factors here as well. In addition to the use of complete AGTOS high-performance turbines on new and second-hand blast machines, AGTOS also offers modification sets, which allow an increase in performance of the  existing turbines. Spare parts for air pressure as well as turbine wheel shot blast machines of other manufacturers complete AGTOS’ product range.
For information: E-Mail: info@agtos.de, www.agtos.com

Munk + Schmitz: Technical Advancements

Munk + Schmitz presented the technical advances to its mobile Problast machines with closed-circuit system. This system gives the user the freedom to blast anywhere – with no pollution. Typical applications are the partial cleaning of large work pieces such as welds on large plates or other work pieces, which due to their size, can alternatively only be processed in large cabinets or blast rooms. Other examples of typical uses are the processing of the outside of long, rotationally symmetric work pieces such as rollers, pipes and sections as well as the inside of pipes, cylinders and water heaters.
All Problast machines with closed-circuit system are equipped with a reclaimer incorporating a cyclone separator with airwash and additional screen as well as a cartridge dust filter. The vacuum is generated either pneumatically or electrically.
For information: info@munk-schmitz.de, www.munk-schmitz.de

Eisenwerk Würth GmbH: All Abrasives at one Glance

Eisenwerk Würth GmbH was represented at the Hannover Messe 2004 once more as a competent manufacturer and distributor of metallic and non-metallic abrasives. Besides the products VERA and DIAMANT, which come from its own production, the "whole world of abrasives", including, glass, plastic and corundum was available in display pipes. So Eisenwerk Würth GmbH was the only exhibitor in Hannover that could introduce the complete range of media to the visitors. An interested party had access to knowledgeable staff, who could count on experience collected in 90 years of media manufacturing. This experience of Eisenwerke Würth allows the perfect media recommendation for each application.
For information: info@eisenwerk-wuerth.de, www.eisenwerk-wuerth.de