The HAHN Group forms a network of specialized companies for industrial automation and robot solutions. At its production and service sites, the group employs approximately 1,600 people in 14 countries. Well-known customers in the automotive, consumer goods, electronics and healthcare industries benefit from skills that have grown over the past 30 years. This expertise in the field of automation technology ensures that resources are used efficiently and robots, as well as digital technologies are deployed in a targeted manner.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
HAHN: The companies of the HAHN Group develop, build and integrate custom-engineered, high-performance automation and robot solutions for manufacturing companies. With their modular and flexible concepts, the desired degree of automation and the conditions in the production hall can always be individually addressed.
The integrated solutions, digital technologies and robot systems from the HAHN Group support companies on their way to SmartFactory. Whether you deal with systems for high-precision material applications or automation systems with short cycle times: The innovative strength, service orientation and proximity to the customer make the subsidiaries of the HAHN Group long-term partners for the automotive, healthcare, electronics and consumer goods industries.
As special machine builders and integrators, the HAHN Group members are able to deliver semi and fully automatic production lines, tailor-made manufacturing and test systems or standard robots for every individual application. This understanding enables the HAHN Group companies to identify innovations for their customers, allowing them to use and further develop digital technologies in a targeted manner.
With their particularly dense service and partner network, the companies are close to their global customers, who in turn appreciate the contact to local specialists. Competence transfers between the companies ensure that assembly teams are quickly put together for use at the customer sites. Experienced project managers are supported by local experts from the partner and sister companies of the HAHN Group.
E.E: What’s the news for 2021 about new products?
HAHN: In line with the Automatica Sprint Online-Event, the HAHN Group presented its company session “Digital Advanced Automation”. There it was demonstrated how customers can further optimize their production with the use of intelligent and digital automation technologies.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
HAHN: Within the featured case study but also as independent technology demonstrations, the HAHN Group showcased the following products during Automatica 2021:
- Battery Test Stand of HAHN Automation;
- Dyna Check Shock Absorber of HAHN Automation;
- EOLT Turbo Charger of HAHN Automation;
- SmartSolutions of HAHN Automation;
- EVE Suite of HAHN Digital;
- Mobile Robots of HAHN Robotics;
- Palletizing Kit of HAHN Robotics;
- Vario TIP® of HAHN Robotics;
- xPacker of WEMO Automation;
- WSV Spray Valve of Walther Systemtechnik.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
HAHN: We are definitely seeing the demand for automation and robotics technologies rise consistently. Due to labor shortages, it is becoming increasingly harder to find skilled workers for production, therefore, it is necessary to take away the unpleasant, difficult, dangerous or dirty tasks of production if they can be automated. This allows workers to take on more sophisticated and fulfilling tasks, thus increasing their job satisfaction.
Aside from automated production lines we also see a large demand for logistics solutions around them. So with the Mobile Robots portfolio of HAHN Robotics Network we are aiming to automate the intralogistics processes of companies, including the packaging and palletizing of products for transport, pallet transport and the automatic delivery and pick-up of parts.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
HAHN: The new SmartSolutions product portfolio, which was released in 2020, offers manufacturing companies a new way to automate processes efficiently, starting with a quantity of one. HAHN Automation’s industrial machining systems map a variety of processes and are easy to operate through every user. Thanks to the software innovation SIA (smart intuitive automation), users can set up and operate the system on a tablet using symbols and graphics. The user interface design is very intuitive due to its design similar to smart phones, keeping the entry barrier low.
Through live monitoring of the set-up process, using the integrated camera, processing points can be defined very precisely – without time-consuming programming. SmartSolutions are therefore particularly easy to use, while at the same time offering the highest level of precision. Thanks to the intelligent menu navigation, the operator knows at all times which process step he is at and is guided step by step through the set-up process. Graphic elements simplify operation and make the user interface well-structured and easy to understand.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2021?
HAHN: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic we expect significant changes in the setup of global supply chains. This means that a lot of companies are going to move some of their production back to Europe and the US, for which a new need for automation and robotics solutions, as well as intralogistics, will arise.