With 871 exhibitors from 33 countries and 27,252 exhibitors, the 33rd Control international trade fair for quality assurance once again met with great success at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from the 7th through the10th of May, 2019. The world’s leading trade fair for quality assurance organized by P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG focused attention on digitalized and connected QA systems, and above all industrial image processing.

Increasing levels of automation and integrated networking amongst industrial production systems are currently driving the market for quality assurance (QA), which is undergoing continuous transformation as a result. This development is made plainly apparent by strong growth in the industrial image processing and vision systems sector. Alone in response to this issue, more than 250 Control exhibitors presented suitable components, modules, subsystems and complete solutions at this year’s Control, and portrayed current worldwide offerings for industrial image processing, vision, camera and sensor systems. Once again, Control proved itself the ideal marketplace for this product portfolio. Expert visitors experienced globally unique offerings in the field of industrial image processing. New applications for image processing, involving routine daily industrial practice as well intra-logistics and autonomous vehicles for freight forwarding and passenger traffic, substantiate the need and the necessity for the implementation of modern quality assurance with future-oriented industrial image processing systems. To an ever greater extent, industrial image processing and vision systems are replacing conventional measuring and testing equipment, and are establishing themselves as the number one key technology for automation – because 100% inline testing is gaining a stronger and stronger foothold in industrial manufacturing and evolution from tactile measuring technology to optical inspection is rapidly advancing.

Trade fair promoters P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG made use of hall 8 this year in order to thematically subdivide Control into appropriately relevant competence blocks with increased exhibition floor space. Not least of all, this restructuring of the event was also intended to accommodate growing demands being placed on the QA market, which is currently experiencing dramatic transformation due to digitalization and networking. QA systems, software and services were concentrated and presented in hall 8 in a clear-cut fashion in order to provide expert visitors with ideal orientation, thus making it possible to gather targeted information and obtain advice with only minimal legwork. The event forum held in this hall by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (IPA) revealed in concrete terms how quality can be improved in industrial manufacturing. “Machine Learning and Vision – a Technological Revolution Thanks to Artificial Intelligence and Modern Image Processing” was a thematic focal point which demonstrated the industrial applicability of innovative image and signal analysis, as well as artificial intelligence, in actual practice.

Concrete technical information combined with practical usability – this is the guiding principle for the concept of all Schall trade fairs: “Our trade fairs embody industrial applicability”, says Bettina Schall, managing director of trade fair promoters P. E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG. “Control is setting the pace where quality assurance is concerned, and it’s intended to provide expert visitors with everything they need in order to implement zero-defects production.” Time-tested collaboration partnerships with renowned research institutes including the Fraunhofer Institute and the Fraunhofer Vision Alliance were dedicated to this goal once again this year. Within the framework of a special show which has been running now for 15 years, roughly 20 exhibitors in hall 6 presented various technologies and processes for contactless, non-destructive measuring and test technology – including ready-to-use developments as well as pioneering concepts. Dipl.-Ing. Michael Sackewitz, business location coordinator and director of the Fraunhofer Vision Alliance, sees Control as the right platform for this special show and views outstanding collaboration with the trade fair promoters as a “central pillar for guiding this mutual concept into the future”. Dr. Richard Söhnchen, managing shareholder of Autision Group GmbH, also expressed his congratulations for the strong trade fair concept with successful implementation over the last 33 years: “Control is the most suitable marketplace for highly automated, digital testing systems.”

Once again this year, the trade fair promoter pursued an ideal working and business atmosphere for exhibitors and expert visitors alike, and created a new service for Control. With four lounges at the outskirts of each hall including workstations, espresso bars, refreshment zones and quiet zones, appropriately equipped areas were made available which all were welcome to make use of: “electrical pow-er, Internet, coffee, water or just a quiet place to sit – that’s what I call hospitality!”, exclaimed a trade fair visitor who was pleased to take advantage of this offering which helped him with his work. Schall intends to establish the new lounge concept at all trade fairs in the future.

For numerous exhibiting companies, Control is the year’s most important trade fair – an industry event which has become increasingly international and currently hosts a 33% share of foreign exhibitors. More than half of all meetings held at the event are already conducted in English. Böhme & Weihs Systemtechnik, a supplier of CAQ/MES software for efficient quality and production management, is one of the original exhibiting companies who participated this year for the 33rd time. Managing shareholder Professor Dr. Norbert Böhme looks back, and at the same time ahead: “So far, we’ve been on hand at all 33 trade fairs and will be back again next year too.” The next Control is now in preparation and will be held at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from the 5th through the 8th of May, 2020.

For more information, visit www.control-messe.de/en/for-exhibitors.