Can you please share a little about yourself with our visitors?

I’m Mark Timmins, Marketing and Distribution Manager at Pepperl+Fuchs GB. Pepperl+Fuchs is worldwide leader in industrial sensing technologies.

Can you please tell us why you chose to exhibit at Robotics & Automation 2019?

Pepperl+Fuchs has developed a wide range of new technology fields in recent years, Robotics & Automation 2019 is the ideal forum to introduce these new technologies and to discuss market opportunities. Attending events where we can meet face to face with a wide range of engineers involved in robot and automation implementation also enables us to develop future sensing technologies and build collaborative relationships with customers.

What will you be sharing with visitors to the exhibition?

We’ll have a range of sensing and positioning technologies, bridging the gap between vision systems and simple sensing. Sensing solutions for AGVs will include LIDAR, optical code and line following, and fail safe positioning. We’ll have the latest sensing solutions for conveyor automation, along with RFID, IO-Link and a range of Industry 4.0 enabled devices. Presence checking, positioning and correctness for Cobot applications will also feature.

What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing the industry at the moment?

Engineers already have access to a world of high tech automation, but accessing and making full use of that automation requires engineering and programming time, yet increasingly the time to deliver projects is being squeezed. As an industry we need to ensure that we provide breathing space to our engineers to explore the full potential of the products they are using, thereby allowing true Industry 4.0 solutions to be built. Industry 4.0 isn’t simply a sticker on the box, it’s an invitation to build something genuinely new and innovative, but only if you have the time.