Control 2013

The 27th Control continues the tradition of presenting innovations and thus opening up new markets. With topics such as quality assurance in medical technology, measuring and testing technology for lightweight construction or increased use of image processing and vision systems, forward-looking trends will be highlighted. Automation in quality assurance and the resulting presentation of quality and its assurance as a value-creating process will also play a central role. Thus, trade visitors from all over the world will find the current global range of technologies, products and solutions for industrial quality assurance in Stuttgart.

Pure quality assurance

At Control 2013, the focus is primarily on the quality assurance process chain, which includes all relevant processes. For this reason, automation solutions are seen as a means to an end, i.e. as important for automated quality assurance in production and assembly, etc., in order to be able to present the quality processes in all their manifestations in a practical and complete manner. The best examples of this are vision and image processing systems which, in cooperation with robots and handling systems as well as material flow equipment, perform inspection, control and selection functions fully automatically and thus highly efficiently. The situation is similar for automated inspection stations, which are designed as independent process stations, but can be used as stand-alone systems or integrated mechanically, in terms of drive and control technology, into linear or rotary transfer systems.

Automating the QA functions

Attentive observers note the significant annual increase in the degree of automation and see it as an indicator of the further development of quality assurance in both established and emerging industrialized countries. The increasing demands of customers in the up-and-coming emerging markets for more functionality and quality mean that producers in low-wage countries must also make greater efforts to ensure quality if they want to be successful on the global market in the long term. On the other hand, producers and suppliers in high-wage countries have long since recognized that with a high degree of automation and the consistently high quality that goes with it, they always have a chance and can survive in all markets with high-quality products.

High benefit for trade visitors

Compatible with the exhibitor topics, Control offers a comprehensive lecture and supporting programme. The practice-oriented information and communication contributes to decision-making reliability with regard to investments in quality assurance hardware and software. This is becoming more and more important because increasingly globalised production also requires global quality assurance strategies. Today, the self-confident customer in Asia has the same quality requirements as those in Eastern Europe or in Europe and America. What they all have in common is that they focus on pure quality and that the origin of the products plays a subordinate role more than ever.

The increased commitment of domestic and foreign manufacturers and suppliers of quality assurance products should also be understood against this background. This time, the 27th Control brings together exhibitors from 33 nations. The largest contingents are from Germany (approx. 600), England (approx. 50), Switzerland (approx. 40), China (approx. 30), Italy (approx. 25) and the USA (approx. 20). On the one hand a showcase for innovation, on the other a presentation platform for practical applications ranging from QA components to QA system solutions - the 27th Control occupies a special position as a practical industry event.