ACHEMA 24: Exhibitors Less Focused on Creating a Buzz and More about Solving Process Manufacturers’ Challenges

By Michael Larner | 3Q 2024 | IN-7482

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Process manufacturing focused show ACHEMA returned to Messe Frankfurt in June after 3 years. There were a dozen halls pertaining to mechanical processes, pumps and valves, laboratories, and a digital hub, among other things. Many innovative solutions on display focused on solving the challenges faced by process manufacturers, and particularly those in the chemical and pharmaceutical domains. Exhibitors were demonstrating how they supported chemical engineers, quality control on the pharmaceutical production line, and keeping the workforce safe and their operations sustainable.

In a similar vein to Hannover Messe, exhibitors in the Digital Hub were showcasing how Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is being incorporated into solutions.

Siemens unveiled Comos AI, which is designed to support engineering teams tasked with planning the creation of new hydrogen plants. The tool is planned for release in 2025 and aims to help users create equipment specifications and diagrams, convert models, drawings, and create information structures for simulation software applications. In addition, the tool can answer questions related to the customer's documentation or specifications, as well as generate precise diagrams based on images, scans, or PDFs.

Cognite provided an overview of how the company uses synthetic data in conjunction with time series data to enable process manufacturers to detect corrosion and, like Siemens, how Gen AI enables customers to interrogate documents.

Collaboration was another theme with Schuller showcasing a digital twin of a chemical plant. Users can interact with one another regarding a maintenance issue and agree on an action plan before going on-site. And Exxar demonstrated how its Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications can help onboard and train new starters.

Process manufacturing facilities, and especially chemical plants, are hazardous working environments and several exhibitors focused on worker safety. Nokia demonstrated how the addition of Portalify's SmartView (tracking workers inside and outside the facility via smartphones) and Secapp (for alerting individuals and teams to incidents and communication to resolve them) to the MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) solution augments customers' worker safety programs.

In terms of worker safety, Schneider Electric showed the EcoStruxure Triconex Safety Instrumented System that identifies issues via sensors, evaluates their seriousness, and looks to restore the operations back to a safe condition. Meanwhile, HIMA's safety applications focus on specific use cases such as monitoring and controlling pipelines or High-Integrity Pressure Protection Systems (HIPPS).

Targeting the needs of pharmaceutical firms, Utthunga looks to help customers avoid unplanned downtime, identify the root cause of issues, and introduce the batch (recipes for medicines or vaccines) to the production line. While Spookfish is a machine vision company specializing in quality control for pharmaceutical production lines, helping customers check the seals on bottles, trays, and sachets, for example.

Many exhibitors were demonstrating their ability to help process manufacturers with their sustainability objectives. OXYTEC focuses on purifying water, the DURAG GROUP focuses on purifying air for emissions compliance, and ADOS and Bühler focus on gas emissions.

We'll have to wait until 2027 for the next edition in Frankfurt. By that time, Gen AI might move from an innovative feature to business as normal, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be underpinning operations for process manufacturers. But process manufacturers continue to experience a multitude of challenges.

ABI Research's Manufacturers' Technology Adoption & Attitudes Survey revealed that process manufacturers are concerned about the performance of their supply chains and equipment, and their ability to maintain quality levels. Survey respondents were investing in private wireless networks and edge solutions as part of solving these issues. However, the biggest challenge overall was deploying the technology; exhibitors at ACHEMA will need to prioritize how customers introduce their solutions in their facilities as much as providing innovations that solve challenges.