Productronica 2017 will show the future of electronics together with SEMICON Europa and IT2Industry

This year from 14 to 18 November the Messe Munchen trade fair center will again host the leading event for electronics development and production - productronica, but for the first time it will be co-hosted with both SEMICON Europa and IT2Industry.

In accordance with that, the emphasis will be put on semiconductor solutions and digitalization in addition to robotics and miniaturization, thus creating the strongest single event for electronics manufacturing in Europe and broadening the range of attendees across the electronics supply chain.

With the inclusion of the two events, productronica now offers an extended platform for all its exhibitors and expands attendee opportunities to exchange ideas and promote technological progress. SEMICON Europa in particular is focused on the electronics manufacturing supply chain and, at large, the semiconductor manufacturing.

It features the most advanced and innovative electronics manufacturing platform in Europe, with key segments such as semiconductor front-end and back-end manufacturing, MEMS/sensors, secondary equipment, advanced packaging, and applications like the Internet of Things (IoT).

"The co-location of these events strengthens the global orientation of electronica and productronica, in addition to reinforcing the importance of Munich as one of the epicenters of the international electronics industry," explained Falk Senger, managing director of Messe Munchen.

A strong business climate indicates the success of the event
The German industry is having its strongest year in terms of sales since 2014, revealed the latest business climate survey conducted by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) productronic department.

There has been a greater demand for semiconductors in the automotive industry and a need for digitalization solutions in manufacturing, which is naturally expected to result in a strong increase in sales. The German manufacturers of systems, components and machines for electronics manufacturing are expecting a growth of 10,5%.

"Trade fairs reflect the current situation in their respective industries. For this reason, the VDMA’s numbers are indicative of a successful productronica for exhibitors and visitors alike. Furthermore, together with our parallel events SEMICON Europa and IT2Industry, we offer a comprehensive overview of electronics manufacturing, semiconductors and Industry 4.0," commented Senger on these forecasts.

Digitalization is the focus of the programme, with Industrial Internet of Things, automation and smart factory as the accents of this year’s productronica trade fair. The event is broken down into five different clusters.

PCB & EMS Marketplace
The PCB & EMS Marketplace cluster with its accompanying highlight day "Sustainable EMS" will be positioned in Hall B3 at the trade fair. Within this thematic, manufacturers of printed circuit boards and EMS providers will be able to show concrete examples of how they are meeting increasing requirements in the automotive industry, medical technology, industrial electronics and mechanical engineering.

The cluster provides an optimal platform for meaningful discussions and networking for the entire PCB and EMS industry and allows for exhibitors, visitors and partners alike to meet, exchange information and find the right supplier for their requirements.

SMT - the future of placement technology
The Surface-mount technology (SMT) cluster will represent the core of electronics manufacturing in four halls - from A1 to A4. The technology, along with related miniaturization and weight reduction, makes it possible to manufacture devices such as smartphones and tablets. Visitors will be able to see productronica’s exhibitors present the entire value chain - from placement, soldering and measuring and testing technology to quality assurance and product finishing.

Cables, Coils & Hybrids- the basis for modern civilization
Cables are still very important in the field of manufacturing and the production sector, nevertheless the trend towards wireless communication and machine control, underline the exhibitors from Messe Munchen.

For that reason, the Cables, Coils & Hybrids cluster was already one of the highlights of the trade fair at the last productronica, and will also be a great part of productronica 2017. This year, Hall A5 will contain the framework, in which exhibitors and visitors can exchange information about the latest developments and production technologies in this area.

Future Markets Cluster - Tracking down the future
The Future Markets sector will answer various questions about the future path of electronic manufacturing. In Hall B2, exhibitors will revolve around topics such as Industry 4.0, the smart factory and 3D printing, with the IT2Industry exhibition integrated into the hall.

The Trade Fair and Open Conference for Intelligent, Digitally Networked Working Environments successfully premiered in 2015 and this year features solutions for the industrial Internet of Things in areas such as cloud computing, big data, IT security and M2M communication.

Another point of interest in Hall B2 will be the special show "Smart Data-Future Manufacturing", held together by VDMA and Lufthansa Industry Solutions. It will show how new business models are developed from a variety of data. Visitors will be able to experience the path of "Big Data-Collecting Data" (sensors in manufacturing machines) to "Smart Data-Processing Data" (predictive maintenance) and all the way to "New Business-Interpreting Data and Deriving Decisions."

Additionally, the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) will show the influence of the integration of various sensors and actuators in production machines on processes and technologies using examples of modern assembly manufacturing again in Hall B2. Visitors will get information, among other things, about how data collection is actually happening and how data robustness along the value chain proves its worth.

Semiconductors Cluster - Growth in 2017
The semiconductors cluster will take place with the close integration of SEMICON Europe in Hall B1, providing attendees with a complete range of information on the topic of semiconductor manufacturing. This cluster will also focus on the topics of production of displays, LEDs and discrete components, the topics photovoltaic manufacturing, micro-nano production, materials processing and clean room technology.

According to a recent study by Gartner analysts, the semiconductor industry is expected to grow by more than 7% in 2017, corresponding to approximately USD 362 billion in volume - a growth that will primarily focus on memory chips.

Industry representatives interested in this topic can benefit from a comprehensive supporting program and various conferences to discuss the latest trends and technologies. Visitors will be able to attend both SEMICON Europa and productronica with one ticked, said the event organizers.

Productronica Innovation Award enters round two
Following its successful premiere in 2015 which had more than 70 submitted entries, Messe Munchen is partnering with "productronic" magazine to present the productronica Innovation Award again at this year’s fair. The categories are Cable, Coils and Hybrids, Future Markets, PCB & EMS, Semiconductors and SMT, and there will also be an award in a new category - Inspection and Quality. The Innovation Award is available exclusively to productronica exhibitors, who will receive their prizes on November 14.