MRO Today - The greatest show on earth

The greatest show on earth

Want to see the world’s best manufacturing technologies and latest innovations in one place? Here you go!

by Tom Hammel

It’s not all beer, schnitzel and frauleins, you know. Even if it does have its own beer hall, (with schnitzel and frauleins!), that’s hardly reason for you to go all the way to Germany for Hannover Messe, right? Fortunately, there are a few more reasons to go — 6,400 more.

From April 16-20, this year’s 60th anniversary Hannover Messe, the world’s largest manufacturing trade show, drew a record 230,000-plus attendees from 4,500 countries and a dozen planets. It also drew more than 6,400 exhibitors from 68 real countries. More than 73,000 visitors had never been here before.

This show is big. Not including the aforementioned beer hall (or maybe including it, I’m a bit fuzzy on that), Hannover Messe fills 28 exhibit halls. Following the famed German penchant for organization, Hannover Messe is actually 12 trade shows running under the same “roof.” These are: INTERKAMA+; Factory Automation; Industrial Building Automation; MDA — Motion, Drive & Automation; Digital Factory; Subcontracting; Energy; Pipeline Technology; ComVac; SurfaceTechnology and Powder Coating Europe; MicroTechnology; and Research & Technology.

And it’s a buying show. According to attendee exit polls, orders generated at the show were pegged at several billion Euros — that’s several billion U.S. Dollars times roughly 1.5.

A lovely city (now)
Like many German cities, Hannover is pretty, green and impeccably clean. But it wasn’t always this way: by 1945, Allied bombers had dropped an estimated 23,000 tons of bombs on Hannover, reducing it to rubble.

Hannover Messe was launched in August 1947 to help Germany rebuild its economy. That first show has become known as the “Sardine Sandwich Show” because each of its 700,000 visitors (!) was welcomed at the door with a sardine sandwich. That’s a lot of sardines.

The fish worked: Today, Germany is Europe’s largest producer of manufactured goods as well as the trade show center of the world.

What’s in it for me?
So why, you ask, other than beer, frauleins, etc. should I care about a show in Germany? Let’s ask some Americans who go there.

“It is important to expand our distribution in Europe and the Pacific Rim and one of the best ways to do that is to exhibit in Hannover,” explains Glen Michalske, director, Pacific Bearing Company, Rockford, Illinois. “It didn’t take long for us to figure out that if we wanted more distributors in Europe, the Hannover Fair was the easiest way to get them.”

Other American manufacturers who come to Hannover each year agree.

“Even though business with our traditional industrial customers in the states is starting to pick up again, with the softness in the residential housing market we have to look to other avenues to maintain growth,” says Marvin Aaron, president of Coilhose Pneumatics, East Brunswick, New Jersey. “We’ve found that Europe is an excellent market for our products, and Hannover is the show to attend. Whether to showcase our products, to check out the competition, or just to get a feel for what’s going on in the international marketplace, the Hannover show can’t be beat.”

Hannover attracts large numbers of representatives from Pacific Rim countries every year. Hannover’s location, 4,300 miles east of Chicago and 5,300 miles west of Shanghai, places it about midway between them. Hannover is fairly easy to get to and everybody speaks the same language: English. Yup, English is the international language of business, so most attending companies, regardless of where they call home, send English speaking representatives. Because of this, it is not uncommon to hear a German exhibitor speaking English with a Chinese visitor, or vice versa.

Come and see
For 42 percent of visitors, the main motivation for coming to the show is the desire to catch up on the latest developments from all over the world. In addition to its sales staff, Pacific Bearing also sends its engineering staff to the show to explore and learn.

“Anybody who is doing anything is usually there, so we walk around and look at what they’re doing,” Michalske adds. “We definitely find ideas for new products there.”

The big (political) guns
This year’s Hannover Messe was opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, representing this year’s official partner country. As partner country, Turkey brought 326 companies to exhibit.

Germans like their politics strong, and Merkel’s pointed opening remarks set a feisty tone for the show and stirred debate for several days afterward. The show also attracted politicians and delegations from almost every industrial nation.

Among the more than 1,000 individual events, the German-Turkish Business Summit itself attracted over 800 participants.

For women in industry, the fourth WomenPower symposium saw over 550 participants debate work-life balance and new working models.

New for ’08 — Power plant technology
Following its successful focus on energy conservation technologies at the 2007 show, Hannover will build on the theme in 2008. As an extension of the Energy and Pipeline Technology shows, 2008 will feature a new show on Power Plant Technology. This event will focus on the rapidly growing market of MRO component suppliers to medium-sized power stations.

Travel tips to ease your mind
1. Do they speak “American?” Yup, pretty much everywhere you go, even in the city. Hannover hosts many international visitors, so shops and restaurants are accustomed to dealing with numerous languages. Some places print menus in English.

2. How do Europeans feel about Americans? They like us just fine; it’s our politicians they can’t figure out.

3. Is it safe? Absolutely. Just treat Hannover like you would any city on your travels.

4. Isn’t it expensive? Not really, especially for what you get:

A: Airfare, from Chicago to Frankfurt, for example, can be had for $800 or less, depending on how early you book. Catching a high-speed train to Hannover is easy — the train station is right in the Frankfurt airport. It’s inexpensive, squeaky clean, scenic and fast!

B: Hotels fill early and can be pricey, so book as far in advance as you can. Rooms rates average from $135 per night on up. German hotels include breakfast in the rate, and trust me, they know how to lay out a spread! Tip: Look for hotels close to underground (train) stations. Private lodging is an interesting and cost-effective alternative to a hotel. Visit www.travel2fairs.com to learn more.

C: You’re in Germany! It’s beautiful, historic, and, if you are a first-time international traveler, it’s the perfect mix of foreign and familiar.

5. Do I need a car? Not unless you plan a driving vacation, too. During the Fair, trains drop attendees right at the front gate. This is why you want a hotel close to a train station, so you can walk to and from your hotel to the train each day.

6. What about the money? Aside from the current exchange rate, the main problem with the Euro is that it’s too much fun to spend. For an American, the small, colorful Euro bills have a “play money” feel that encourages spreading them around, and temptations to spend are everywhere.

7. And a passport? I don’t have one. Get thee to a Walgreens. That’s right, for about $15 they’ll take your passport photo on the spot, and you can download the official passport application form from Walgreen’s Web site, www.walgreens.com.

Ready, set, go!
Well, not yet. Hanover Messe is immense and requires serious pre-show planning or you’ll just get overwhelmed. The good news is that Hannover’s staff has been welcoming visitors for 60 years and handled 73,000 first-timers last year alone. The show Web site contains a wealth of useful information including maps, planning tools and exhibitor listings. And it gets more valuable the closer to showtime you get. So be sure to visit www.hannovermesse.de. And bring those walking shoes because you’ll really need them!

Mid-West Instrument, Inc. Sterling Heights, Michigan, introduced its new line of drop-in tank level gauges specifically designed for Cryogenic/Liquefied Gas for stationary and mobile applications. The new 115/116 gauges feature a Dry Bellows design with internal bi-directional relief valves with no liquid fill required to protect the unit from over-range. The 115/116 gauges are also ideal for He and H2 service. Item 169

Now available in the U.S., Metabo’s P-7911 multihammer, developed with the Porsche Design Group, combines the functions of a drill with the power of a pneumatic hammer for drilling in concrete, stone, wood and steel. Its patented “on top” handle position provides exceptional balance and stability. One switch allows the user to alternate between any of the tool’s five functions. A 705-watt, 6-amp motor has 133 inch-pounds of torque, 2.0 joules per blow, and, using hammer bits, a 3/4-inch drilling capacity in concrete. Item 170

Eaton Corporation introduced its next generation STC EZ Torque connector (above) in Hannover. The STC EZ Torque is compatible with standard threaded ports and can be installed without the need of an adapter, special ports or tools. Item 171

The powRgrip collet system by Rego-Fix utilizes a toolholder and collet that can generate six tons of clamping force — equal to or higher than shrink-fit holders. The powRgrip system uses the mechanical properties of the holder material to generate tremendous gripping force with run-out below 0.0001 inches. Collets are available from 1/8 up to 1 inch, including metric sizes, and will hold both carbide and HSS tools. Item 172