Rittal at the Hannover Messe Digital Days: From IT racks to edge

For the first time the Hannover Messe presents itself in a purely digital format - and also with Rittal as one of the ten premium partners of the Digital Days on July 14th and 15th, 2020. The system provider presents its range of services and its innovations web-based via a virtual exhibition stand as well via video presentations live from the Rittal Innovation Center. 

The highlight is ONCITE, the first AI-based and real-time capable edge cloud solution nominated for the Hermes Award 2020 for in-house Industry 4.0 processes. The focus is also on solutions for IT infrastructures such as the new VX IT rack and for accelerated value creation processes in control and switchgear construction.

With the Digital Days, the Hanover Fair will be expanded to include a digital event this year. For the first edition on July 14th and 15th, Rittal is one of the ten premium partners. Experts from the Friedhelm Loh Group are connected live from the Rittal Innovation Center in Haiger - and represented in seven digital events in high-quality panel discussions, keynotes and innovation presentations:

• High level talk with Dr. Friedhelm Loh (kick-off event on July 14th at 10:15 am): "BDI Economic Forum: Forward to the New - New Opportunities for Progress?". Peter Altmaier, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Klaus Helmrich, Siemens AG, Oliver Jung, Festo AG, Prof. Dieter Kempf, BDI President, Friedhelm Loh, Friedhelm Loh Group, Rolf Najork, Robert Bosch GmbH, and Thomas Saueressig, SAP SE.

• Presentation of the Hermes Award 2020 ( July 14th at 2:30 pm): The Friedhelm Loh Group has been nominated for the world's most important industry award with ONCITE , the AI-based and real-time capable edge cloud data center of the subsidiary German Edge Cloud . ONCITE is located directly in the factories and ensures that data can be evaluated there in a timely and local manner.

• Keynote Session 1 (July 14th at 12:30 pm): "Digital integration of value chains - opportunities for competitiveness". Speaker: Dr. Thomas Steffen , Managing Director Research and Development at Rittal .

• Keynote Session 2 (July 15th at 6pm): The industrial automation ecosystem ”. Speaker: Haluk Menderes , managing director of Eplan .

• Innovation Track (14 July at 4:00 p.m.): "Compact housing and digital twin - integrated value creation using the example of the AX portfolio". Speaker: Michael Schell , Head of Product Management at Rittal .

• Innovation Track 2 (July 15th at 2:00 pm): "IT for industry: from rack to AI - real solutions for intelligent industries". Speaker: Radek Stolar , Head of Business Development & Strategy IT Global at Rittal .

• Talk round (14 July at 4 p.m.): “Data in industry: big or small, edge or cloud”. Participant: Bernd Kremer , Head of Business ONCITE Industrial at IoTos / German Edge Cloud .

The fastest IT rack in the world

IT is the focus this year. With its new VX IT rack system, Rittal is presenting a newly developed modular system for server and network racks for the first time at a trade fair. This enables new IT infrastructures to be set up at unprecedented speed - from individual network racks to complete data centers. The VX IT offers maximum configuration freedom, which can be done quickly and easily using an online tool - fully certified with all components. This is unique.

More transparency in energy consumption

In order to achieve maximum transparency in the energy consumption of IT solutions, Rittal has integrated extensive measurement functions for a detailed energy analysis in its new PDU product family (Power Distribution Unit). The PDUs can be configured online. In this way, IT users can quickly and easily implement high-quality power distribution according to individual requirements within any IT rack.

Accelerated processes in plant construction

Together with the sister company Eplan - also a partner of the Hannover Messe Digital Days - Rittal shows how manufacturers of control and switchgear can gradually build up a data-continuous value chain. Almost all stations in plant engineering - from engineering and configuration to mechanical processing to fully automatic cable assembly - can be linked in a fully automated manner thanks to the highly efficient interaction of digital processes. The digital twin is the key. Rittal also supplies automation solutions that make these processes easier, faster, more precise and more reproducible.

Enclosure technology for Industry 4.0

How can housings and control cabinet systems help with digitization? Rittal has the answer with the new compact and small housing series AX and KX - which is now completed with new, outdoor-compatible plastic housings. The housings bring digital tools with them and fit into the digital value chain of control and switchgear construction. In addition to high-quality 3D data and configuration tools, QR codes on all flat parts to be processed simplify their integration into the production workflow. This enables modern digital monitoring from goods receipt to completion.

Efficient in outdoor cooling

Other new products include the Blue e + outdoor cooling units - equipped with energy-saving and environmentally friendly air conditioning technology. With the innovative Blue e + technology from Rittal, high savings can be achieved and the CO2 footprint of systems can be significantly reduced.

Solutions for the energy transition

The demand for electrical energy is constantly increasing in many industrial applications. This results in higher demands on the electrical power distribution systems. The answer from Rittal is the complete system VX25 Ri4Power for the construction of type-tested low-voltage switchgear up to 6,300 A. Thanks to the Power Engineering software, the system is easy to configure, quick to install and extremely copper-saving.

For the future: Together with partners, Rittal is also designing central infrastructure elements that are necessary to set up charging stations for e-mobility. The system provider produces components for this infrastructure - along the entire value chain from power generation to air conditioning of the charging station.