Second annual German Technology Day moves online

The inaugural German Technology Day was held in Kitchener and Mississauga, Ontario, as an in-person event in 2019, and moved online for its 2020 version.

As with many events so far this year, in person events are a no-go. However, the German Technology Day Digital Online Trade Show was able to incorporate many aspects that made the 2019 show successful into the new format.

The event, which attracted nearly 500 registrations, began with a session that introduced attendees to each company and what they do. Companies involved in the day were: Rittal Canada, Murrelektronik, Bosch Rexroth, Pilz Canada, EPLAN Canada, and WAGO Canada Inc.

“Rittal was pleased with the outcome of the second German Technology Day Virtual Fair 2020, with the theme of ‘Collaboration and Connectivity.’ Our digital platform attracted almost 500 registrants, and truly enabled us to convey to the audience just how connected we are: from our IoT solutions to the integration with other partners in the industry,” says Tim Rourke, president, Rittal Systems Ltd.

“Given the success of our second GTD, we hope to continue to enhance the event in the years to come, making it even more inclusive and keeping up with the latest trends in the manufacturing and electrical industry.”

A lobby was the home base for the event. From here, attendees could visit all of the aspects that were available. A virtual exhibit hall allowed for attendees to visit each company’s virtual booth to speak with representatives, visit microsites, download PDF material, connect to their social media accounts and watch videos.

Additionally, a media room had links to participating media, a virtual contest encouraged attendees to answer questions for a chance at a prize, and a chat function allowed for attendees to communicate with each other during the event.

Speakers for German Technology Day 2020. Photo: German Technology Day

The main part of the German Technology Day took place in the auditorium, where the sessions were taking place.

EPLAN Canada’s president, Roland Younk, opened the individual company sessions by speaking about “Connected Manufacturing: Design to Delivery.” He discussed Production 4.0, how to reduce production time, as well as how to handle machining, assembly and wire processing automatically in a digital environment.

Next up was Andre Bousette, regional director, Eastern Canada at Rittal, who spoke about the “Connected World of Rittal: From IT to Industry.” The presentation focused on IT, and showed how automated solutions are created by having IIoT applications and software working together.

Dave Hinder, product manager for electric drives and controls at Bosch Rexroth, discussed “The ‘Smart Phone’ of Automation” and Bosch Rexroth’s new ctrlX AUTOMATION platform.

Colin Cartwright, system sales manager at Murrelektronik, presented “Connectivity and Collaboration Simplified.” He spoke about the benefits of collaborating with the company, as well as providing an example of how connectivity and collaboration strategies can help OEMs and machine builders.

Jon Pysanczyn, senior technical sales manager at Pilz Canada, explained “Machinery Safety and Industrial Security in a Connected Automation World.” Pysanczyn spoke about door interlocks specifically, and industrial security generally.

Tyrone Visser, regional sales manager, WAGO Canada, spoke about “Demystifying IIoT for Manufacturing.” Here, Visser looked at what Industry 4.0 and IIoT is, why manufacturers should move to the IIoT, which innovations make IIoT feasible, how to use it, and how to develop and deploy it, with a WAGO IIoT example.

Here’s a recap video of the event:

“We were very pleased with the outcome of this second German Technology Day,” says Andreas Sobotta, CEO and GM of Pilz Canada.

“This virtual event attracted more than 200 people to our booth, and the attendance of the webinar was excellent. The feedback from the customers was extraordinary positive.”

To catch the event in full, watch the recordings on the German Technology Day event site.

Mario Cywinski is the editor of Machinery and Equipment MRO magazine and Food and Beverage magazine, a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada and a judge for Canadian Truck King Challenge. He has over 12 years of editorial experience, over two years of maintenance, reliability and operations experience, over 16 years of automobile industry experience, as well as small business industry experience.