Event details: The German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association (VDMA) released its annual industry survey at the Hanover Industrial Fair, covering nearly a thousand equipment manufacturing, automation system integrators, and terminal production enterprises such as LK in Germany, comprehensively evaluating the current status of industrial automation and digital transformation in Germany.
According to the report data, about one-third of German equipment manufacturing companies have entered the digital fast lane, building a complete automation+digital system; 59% of the surveyed companies have developed long-term digital strategies. But the research also revealed three core obstacles: concerns about OT network security risks, budget pressure for digital transformation, and a shortage of automation professionals. A large number of small and medium-sized enterprises are concerned about the high investment and uncertain return cycle of digital transformation, as well as the lack of on-site engineers who can complete instrument debugging, PLC programming, and network configuration, resulting in slow progress of automation upgrade projects.
VDMA proposed in the report that intelligent sensor transformation is the most cost-effective automation upgrade path. Compared to replacing the entire PLC and DCS control system, upgrading the traditional 4-20mA analog instrument to an intelligent level and pressure sensor with IO Link interface and built-in self diagnostic function has lower investment and shorter implementation cycle. In addition to transmitting measurement values, this type of instrument can also upload real-time diagnostic data such as internal temperature, circuit status, and sensor corrosion loss. The automation system can predict instrument failures in advance, avoiding production accidents caused by the failure of automated detection instruments.
VDMA announced that it will establish a special technical forum at the SPS Nuremberg Automation Exhibition in the second half of the year, covering topics such as intelligent sensor digitization, industrial safety automation, OT network protection, and low-cost digital transformation of small and medium-sized factories. German automation and instrument manufacturers such as LK, VEGA, Phoenix, and Beifu will participate in the forum to share on-site application cases of level measuring instruments in automation closed-loop control and predictive maintenance.
