The HARTING Technology Group perceives the US as a market of the future and is aiming to further expand its business in the United States. The company’s position was clearly stated by CEO and General Partner Philip Harting and HARTING, Inc. of North America CEO, Jon DeSouza, at a press reception kicking off the Hannover Messe, at HARTING’s stand.
In this context, HARTING is primarily counting on teaming up with innovative US companies to tackle the complex challenges of digital transformation and to jointly develop compelling customer solutions for Integrated Industry. At the same time, HARTING also intends to expand its existing partnerships over the long term with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), as well as its cooperation (predevelopment partnership) with Texas Instruments.
HARTING has found a sound partner in one US carmaker. Together with this customer, HARTING is currently developing the “intelligent connector” (smart Han®). In addition to serving as a connection to the power supply for the attached machinery, the connector also enables the monitoring of the power used by all interconnected energy consumers. “This turns the connector into an active component within the power supply concept and means that it plays a significant role in the flexible and optimized operation of the machinery and systems”, explained Uwe Gräff, Managing Director HARTING Electric, HARTING Electronics and HARTING IT Software Development.
The use of this “intelligent connector” provides customers with a standardized infrastructure that enables them to flexibly adjust their manufacturing facilities to the needs of the market. The solution offers an additional advantage: existing older machinery can also be made Industry 4.0-capable by the smart Han®.
The USA is a clear future market
CEO and General Partner Philip Harting emphasized that the US is a growth market for HARTING. "We’re not only optimistic in terms of digitization. The reshoring and modernization taking place in numerous US industrial companies also offer tremendous opportunities for classic HARTING products and solutions from the Connectivity & Networks area," Harting said. Jon DeSouza, President & CEO of HARTING, Inc. of North America, spoke about current trends taking place in the U.S. that support Industry 4.0, including the adoption of plug-and-play industrial technologies, such as using connectors instead of hardwiring.
In order to position itself even closer to the US market and its requirements, HARTING will be kicking off manufacturing operations in Silao, Mexico in the near future, producing overmolded cables and wiring harnesses. "Wherever our customers are, you’ll also find HARTING," as Philip Harting stated, referring in this context to the large production plants of numerous carmakers and their suppliers who have manufacturing operations in Mexico.
Revenue guidance confirmed
Philip Harting expressed his satisfaction with the course of the first half of the 2015/16 business year (October 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016) despite increasingly difficult conditions. "Unfortunately, global uncertainties have not subsided since our annual press conference last December. Still, for the full year we continue to expect single-digit sales growth of under five percent", HARTING said at the event, reiterating his forecast made at the end of 2015.
As part of the reception, Philip Harting also introduced Stefan Olding, who has been Managing Director of HARTING Deutschland since the beginning of February this year. Mr. Olding is the successor of Rüdiger Prill, who served as Managing Director of HARTING Deutschland for 10 years and continues to remain with the company as a consultant and head of committee work.
HARTING MICA in the “Etos” is the highlight at Hannover Messe trade show
A highlight at this year's Hannover Messe is the HARTING MICA in the Rinspeed Car "Etos". The HARTING MICA (Modular Industry Computing Architecture), a smart mini industrial computer, performs emissions and condition monitoring for the vehicle. The MICA is a modular platform of open hardware and software that can be adapted quickly and cost efficiently to numerous industrial applications, and was nominated for this year’s HERMES AWARD.
HARTING is taking the example of Rinspeed AG’s “Etos“ concept car to demonstrate how open, versatile and exceptional the MICA is. The family owned and managed company is particularly eyeing the target sectors of mobile and stationary machines and plants which can be cost-effectively and efficiently networked and connected to the data Cloud.
New solutions for Integrated Industry
HARTING is also striving to expand its business with products and solutions for Integrated Industry, as Uwe Gräff stressed during the press reception. In this context, Gräff once again cited the six major trends within Integrated Industry: modularization, identification, integration, digitalization, miniaturization and customization. HARTING had clearly identified these trends at Hannover Messe 2015 and offered innovative solutions associated with them.
As innovations in the area of modularization, Gräff cited the new Han® ES Press termination technology, which is based on a pre-loaded cage clamp. To connect the conductor, the user only has to manually depress an actuator to close the cage clamp. The result is a connection that boasts high tensile strength, is vibration-resistant and reliable. This tool-free, quick connection of wires – paired with a unique jumper technology – enables the integration of functionalities which could previously only be produced using terminals in the switch cabinet. Gräff also touched on the Han® Docking Frame. The frame is a float-mounted plastic frame in which more than 50 different interfaces from the Han-Modular® product range can be integrated.
The docking frame can accommodate 2-6 modules that can be arranged according to the user's requirements. Consequently, the new Han® Docking Frame offers a technically refined and functional solution that supports the modularization of electrical installations.
Winner of MICA competition chosen at Hannover Messe
As part of the press reception at the Hannover Messe trade show, the winners of the MICA competition were also honored. In collaboration with trade magazine Elektrotechnik, HARTING had hosted the "What are you doing with the MICA?" competition to call for applications to be developed using the MICA Open Computing System. "The numerous entries underscored the range of possible applications with the MICA," Philip Harting said.
The two teams from IMMS – Institute for Microelectronic and Mechatronic Systems (Ilmenau) won over the HARTING jury. Among other achievements, within a few short weeks the Ilmenau-based scientists equipped the MICA’s free function boards with new hardware for real-time data processing, as well as for wireless communication with sensors for an environmental monitoring application. The firm SALT AND PEPPER (Bremen) submitted a convincing upgradeable "Predictive Maintenance" solution in which vibration sensors can predict machine states and events.
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