After getting back from a great trip to Germany, first and foremost we want to thank the incredible Siemens team for their hospitality, insights, and support throughout our visit. From coordinating meetings to sharing technical knowledge, they made the experience well worth the travel. A special thanks to:
- Amer Abubaker – Amer shared a powerful personal story about his journey to U.S. citizenship and was passionate about bringing what he learned in Germany back home.
- Kaitlin Scott – Drives Specialist who went above and beyond to organize logistics and social events for the U.S. guests. She also happens to be a top-notch engineer.
- Pradeep Singh – Formerly with Siemens India, now based in Germany, Pradeep played a key role in coordinating the workshop and bringing marketing insight to the table.
While in Germany, the EDC team participated in two major events: Hannover Messe, the largest industrial automation fair in the world, and the SINAMICS Large Power Drives Workshop hosted at Siemens’ Motion Control HQ in Erlangen. Each offered something different—and both were valuable.
Highlights from Hannover Messe
We hit the ground running—literally—by heading straight from the airport into the massive halls of Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industrial technology trade show.
Our main focus was the Siemens Mega Booth, a 20,000-square-foot experience center showcasing innovations in digitalization, motion control, and system integration. We had the chance to walk through live demonstrations, talk directly with Siemens leadership, and take a closer look at some of their latest drive and control technologies.
A couple of technologies came up a lot during our time at the Siemens booth—both in demos and in casual conversations. These weren’t just marketing buzzwords; people were actively discussing how they’re being used and where things are heading.
Digital Twin
One of the technologies that came up again and again at the show was the digital twin. Basically, it’s a way to build and test a full version of a machine in software before you build anything in real life. You can simulate how the equipment will run, work out any issues ahead of time, and fine-tune the process—all without touching physical hardware.
It’s especially useful in situations where timing is tight. For example, a manufacturer launching a new product might need to go from design to production fast. With a digital twin, the production line can be modeled and optimized in advance so that when it’s time to build, everything runs smoothly.
This isn’t something we’re offering just yet, but it’s a space we’re keeping a close eye on. There’s real potential here for future projects where speed, precision, and testing ahead of time make a big difference.
Industry 4.0
Another big focus at Hannover Messe was Industry 4.0—basically, the push toward smarter, more connected factories. That includes things like machines that talk to each other, remote access for troubleshooting, real-time data tracking, and cloud integration.
These are things we’re already doing in a lot of our projects—especially when we’re working with ProfiNet, TIA Portal, and modern PLC/HMI systems. But it was great to see how Siemens is continuing to move the ball forward. There’s clearly more opportunity ahead for our customers to improve efficiency, cut downtime, and make their systems easier to monitor and support.
Highlights from SINAMICS Large Power Drives Workshop Roundtable:
The second part of our trip was the 2025 SINAMICS Large Power Drives Workshop, a smaller, more focused event held at Siemens’ Motion Control headquarters in Erlangen. Organized by Siemens GMC US and GMC HQ, this invite-only workshop brought together a handful of U.S.-based companies for in-depth technical discussions.
The smaller setting allowed for productive conversations and a better chance to get to know the Siemens team. We talked shop, shared challenges, and exchanged ideas over group sessions and a shared dinner. We’d also like to thank the full Siemens team who presented, facilitated, and made this event possible:
- Pradeep Singh – Global Business Development, Vertical Metals
- Fabian Kinner – Global Business Development, Vertical Testing Equipment
- Kaitlin Scott – Business Development, Vertical Testing Equipment (USA)
- Danny Schaefer – Head of GMC Vertical Sales Automotive, Tire, Battery, Metals & Paper
- Thomas Tichatschke – Head of Technical Consulting, Application Support & Simulations
- Yorck Lange – Principal Technical Consultant, Large Power Drives
- Fabian Perner – Head of Sales Americas
- Alexander Stukenkemper – Head of Business Development Verticals & Segments
- Shashikant Shivajirao Ghorpade
- Amer Abubaker
This event also reinforced how aligned our work is with Siemens’ motion control offerings. At EDC, our integration work regularly involves:
- PLCs: S7-1500, S7-400, S7-1200, ET-200SP, ET-200MP
- HMIs / Interfaces: Comfort Panel, Unified Comfort, Nanobox
- Drives: S120 SINAMICS, S210, G120, G120C, V90, 6RA80 DC
- Motion: S120 Simotion, 1FT7 & 1FK7 servo motors, 1PH8 asynchronous motors, Simogear
- Safety & Comms: ProfiSafe, ProfiNet
- Software: TIA Portal, WinCC
- Legacy Conversions: S5 PLCs, 6SE70 Masterdrives, Micromaster, 6RA70 DC drives, Profibus, and more
Looking back, this trip was a valuable opportunity to deepen our Siemens relationship, see where the technology is headed, and bring back insights we can apply to EDC projects going forward. We’re grateful to the Siemens team for the warm welcome—and we’re looking forward to what’s next.
