Pepperl+Fuchs Explores the Future of Automation Technology at Its First Digital Expo Event
 
Pepperl+Fuchs and its subsidiaries VMT and ecom are pioneering a new event format with their first "Digital Expo" virtual trade fair. The free event will take place from April 19 to 23, 2021, and offers new and existing customers a compact, entirely digital insight into the current range of products and solutions from the specialists in industrial sensors and explosion protection.

The company's existing event platform www.your-future-automation.com will function as the virtual venue, which previously hosted the "Pepperl+Fuchs Online Summit." The new Digital Expo features a new format that is less like a conference and more like a technology fair, where the focus is on user interaction with application solutions. During the event, which will be held in German and English, visitors will make their way through a virtual showroom containing detailed, interactive 3-D models.
Each virtual exhibit will be supplemented by information such as explanatory videos, expert interviews, technical white papers, and other digital content. All of the exhibits can be accessed 24/7 from April 19 onward, and international experts from Pepperl+Fuchs will be on hand to answer questions via live chat until April 23. Users will continue to have access to the event platform after this date.

Four Topics Relevant to Industrial Sensors and Explosion Protection
In keeping with the slogan for the platform, "Your Future Automation," the Digital Expo covers a wide range of promising topics relevant to automation technology. The PXL+ Technology developed by Pepperl+Fuchs and its subsidiary VMT will be one of the main highlights. This technology can be used to create 3-D point clouds with as much sensor data—pixel plus information—as required. This data indicates the color, temperature, and surface properties of a scanned object. As an example, robots in the automotive sector equipped with this technology can be trained to detect even the most minor paintwork damage that would not be visible via a 3-D representation alone. The technology allows users to establish a flexible, multi-sensor system that can be adapted as a means of optimizing existing solutions or exploring completely new applications. The content relating to PXL+ Technology will include a unique virtual exhibit that allows event visitors to participate in a competition. All players will be entered into a drawing to win one of five virtual reality headsets being given away by Pepperl+Fuchs.

All Topics from the First Pepperl+Fuchs Digital Expo at a Glance:
• Envisioning the Future—Vision Technology Powered by PXL+
• Leading the Way for Automated Guided Vehicles—Proven Applications and Innovative Technologies
• Joining the IIoT Revolution—Technologies, Components, and Applications
• Experiencing the Ex-Evolution—Digitalization, Solutions, and Industrial Communication in Hazardous Areas

"The range of solutions offered by the Pepperl+Fuchs Group is all about continuous technological progress, which is also relevant to the way our event concepts have evolved. We're looking forward to using the Digital Expo to engage new and existing customers in a pioneering and entertaining event in a 3-D environment that blurs the boundaries between analog and digital worlds," says Dr. Michael Kleinkes, Managing Director of Pepperl+Fuchs subsidiary VMT.