Schweißen und Schneiden

Multi-touch application development and central CMS infrastructure for an interactive 1,000 sqm trade fair presence

Every four years, the world’s leading trade fair for joining and cutting technologies – Schweißen und Schneiden – brings together experts in modern production technology and presents innovations and new products on the market. From 25 to 29 September 2017, around 1,000 exhibitors and 55,000 trade visitors met in Düsseldorf, Germany – including Fronius International Ltd, a company with global operations in welding technology, photovoltaics and battery charging technology.

Our partner Ars Electronica Solutions was entrusted with the realization of their interactive trade fair presence, from conception right up to its execution. An impressive arch of light, symbolizing the welding process, served as the fair stand’s initial eye‑catcher, complemented by light phenomena that were highlighted visually and acoustically by mediatectonic tools and transmitted from several “live welding stations” onto the central installation, the electric arc.

Eyecatcher of the interactive trade fair presentation

However, the centrepiece of the stand was the “WeldCube”, a cube with interactive screens positioned in the centre of the exhibition area, which, thanks to a newly developed data management system, is able to record, analyse and evaluate data relating to the welding process. Each welding process was visualised on this cube and enhanced with additional data from the Fronius system. In combination, the visitors were able to make a direct connection between the creation of the arc in the welding area, the data stream and the intelligent evaluation.

Garamantis had the opportunity to support this large-scale project by contributing its interactive multi-touch software to several interlinked workstations. A Garamantis-designed CMS was also used to synchronise the content coming from the various workstations. To do this, the many info screens and PCs logged into the CMS, which then configured them and supplied them with content.

In addition, Fronius International’s global distribution network and reference customers could be explored on an interactive globe on the “Reference Wall”, a multi-touch wall consisting of 12 full HD screens. The Unity-based 3D globe displayed geo-referenced content also provided by the CMS.

Fronius

Ars Electronica Solutions

Project facts

  • Client: Ars Electronica Solutions
  • Context: Fronius at the “Schweißen und Schneiden 2017”
  • Implementation time: 12 weeks
  • Finishing date: September 2017
  • inter connected multi touch software installations
  • central content-management-system
  • multi touch screen wall with 12 full HD screens
Stephan Pointner

For long-term projects like this one it is paramount to have reliable partners on board who also possess the necessary flexibility. In Garamantis we not only have such a partner, but at the same time an important creative idea giver in many a difficult project phase. From the first collective brainstorming right until the rollout at the trade fair, Garamantis always provided advice and support, and they never let the fun fall by the wayside to boot.

Stephan Pointner, Project Manager at Ars Electronica Solutions

Products applied

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